Tamashi no Kiri: Soul of Fog
by MJLCoyoteStarrk
Summary: After Aizen's defeat, some Espada are getting used to being Soul Reapers and Ichigo is dealing with losing his powers.  However, a new threat rises in Karakura Town that could challenge the Balance: "Spirit Evolution".  Official Theme: "Kiri" by Monoral
1. Prologue: Shapes in the Fog

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Prologue: Shapes in the Fog**

_Life is covered in fog_

_Death is covered in fog_

_Both are shrouded in uncertainty_

_With only vague shapes_

_Reaching out to us_

Coyote Starrk found himself surrounded by fog. The last thing he remembered was the blade cutting his chest and him falling. The last thing he saw was Kyoraku looking at him, his eyes filled with pity and…for some reason, hope. Starrk did not understand it, and all became black. When he opened his eyes, he saw fog.

"Where am I?" he whispered.

"Starrk, is that you?" a girl's voice asked.

He turned to his left and saw Lilynette sitting next to him. However, he saw that she no longer had the helmet-like mask fragment on her head and she no longer had a hollow hole. He touched his own chest and did not feel either mask fragment or hollow hole.

"They're awake," someone said.

They looked ahead and saw two women standing before them. Starrk recognized the Reiatsu that they radiated as being the Reiatsu from Kyoraku's swords.

"Are you, Katen Kyokotsu?" Starrk asked, remembering the name Shunsui called out as he was going into his Resurrección.

"You are sharp," the taller woman said, smiling. "Yes, we are Katen Kyokotsu."

"Why am I here?"

"The Zanpakuto of a Soul Reaper has the power to purify a Hollow's spirit and send them to the Soul Society or send them to Hell. This is the In-Between. Here, all judgments are made."

"How...do you judge?" Starrk asked.

"The Zanpakuto Spirit looks at the past life of a Hollow. However, since you are an Arrancar, it will be different. We will look at your past from after you became a Gillian to the present. As this occurs, Shunsui will also serve as judge, however, we already know that he wants you to be saved, but we have to judge as well."

"But…what if he needs to continue fighting?" Lilynette asked.

"I don't think time means anything here, Lilynette," Starrk said.

"That's right. Here, it may feel as though days pass, while in the Outside, only a moment would have past. Now then, it's time to see what there is to see."

**_Fake Karakura Town_**

Harribel saw Starrk fall. She felt the tears come into her eyes and then Aizen was standing before her.

"Aizen?"

Harribel then felt the blade cut across her torso. She saw the blood flow the wound and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I no longer have any use for you," he said. "No matter how many sacrifices I require you to make, none of them will bring me victory."

Harribel felt the rage build up inside her. Starrk had died for him, out of gratitude for finding him a pack that he could belong to. This was how Aizen thanked his service…his sacrifice…her sacrifice. She rushed at him and stabbed him.

"Please," Aizen said, beginning to fade. "Don't make me raise my sword twice to the likes of you," Aizen said from behind her. She looked and saw his sword's blade sticking out of her chest.

"There's no such thing as a world without sacrifice," she whispered as she fell.

When she struck, she was unable to move. She was barely alive, but she knew that death was near. Her only thought was seeing Starrk again. She wanted to go to where he laid, but she couldn't move. Then she saw the Captain who cut Starrk down standing over her.

"I'm glad you're still alive," he said.

"You…killed…"

"Don't worry, I'm here to make it up to both of you," he said and ran her through with the longer blade that still had some of Starrk's blood on it. "You'll see him again. I promise."

**_The In-Between_**

Harribel sat up and saw the two figures standing before her. She smiled as she recognized them. The fog that surrounded them brightened and they were bathed in white light.

**_On the Other Side_**

The two Soul Reapers rushed through the forest. The sun shone through the branches and they made their way to where the three figures were lying. One was a little girl with light green hair and another was a woman with darkly-tanned skin and blonde hair. The third, lying between them, was a man with shoulder-length brown hair and a faded goatee.

"Are these them?" one of the Soul Reapers asked.

"Yeah, they match the description that Captain Kyoraku gave us," the other said.

"I better report this Captain Unohana," the other said.

"I'll stay here," the other said.

As his partner went to fetch the Captain Unohana and the healers from Squad 4, the other saw that the man was beginning to stir.

"Where am I?" the man asked, his eyes barely open.

"Hush, don't worry. You're in the Soul Society now."

**_Karakura Town: a month after Aizen's defeat_**

Ichigo Kurosaki was on his bed. He gripped the Soul Reaper Badge in his right hand. He did not know for sure how much longer he could continue being a Soul Reaper, but he knew that his time would soon come to an end. He thought about the price he was willing to pay to ensure that Aizen was defeated.

He thought of his friends who followed him to Hueco Mundo to help rescue Orihime Inoue from Aizen's fortress of Las Noches. Chad, Uryuu, Rukia, and Renji were fully recovered, but he wasn't too sure about Orihime. He remembered how she wept when Ulquiorra Schiffer became ashes that were blown away. Even now, Orihime continued to mourn for the Espada's death, and that worried him.

The war was over. Aizen was defeated. But the impact was still felt. He tried to re-enter Zangetsu's world, but was unable to. His dad, who turned out to have been a Soul Reaper, wasn't as talkative or as annoying as he used to be. His sisters, however, were still the way they used to be. Of course, they had been unconscious throughout the whole thing and knew nothing about it, but they noticed the change in their father's and brother's behaviors.

Ichigo thought about it when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

"Hey, your dad said that I would find you here," Rukia said as she entered his room.

"Hey Rukia, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing."

"How do you think I'm doing?"

"Yeah…your dad told me that you're still sulking."

"My powers are fading away. It's not fair. I helped defeat Aizen, and my powers are fading."

"You knew that this would happen. So, why are you complaining about it?"

"It's because I hate feeling useless. When my powers are gone, how can I possibly defend my friends?"

"Ichigo…you need to know that you'll never really be powerless. Even when your Shinigami powers fade, you'll still be able to fight for your friends. Besides, you never know. You might actually find a way to bring them back."

"How would you know?"

"It's because I have faith in you, Ichigo. Ever since you came to rescue me from execution, I always believed that you would find a way to help protect your friends."

**_Muken: Maggot's Nest: Soul Society_**

Pain ran through his body. Aizen's head was tilted down and he looked into the Abyss below him. Chains wrapped around his outstretched arms and over his body, pulling in various directions. Even though he had only served about a month of his 20,000 year sentence, the pain was becoming unbearable for him. He could only look into the Abyss far below him and he felt it gazing into him.

He found it odd that even though he was able to use air as solid ground, there was nothing solid about the air below him. He felt as though nothing but the chains was holding him up and it unnerved him. When he walked in the air, he felt like a God. He felt as though he could control the lands beneath his feet. However, that feeling was gone now. He felt helpless and for Souske Aizen that was even worse than the physical pain.

If the opportunity came that he could get his feet to touch solid ground again, he would take it. Even if he had to bow his head or prostrate himself, he would do it. Anything was better than this feeling of complete helplessness.

**_Karakura Town_**

The Hollow was on the hunt. It sniffed the air for any souls it could devour. It had stayed away from Karakura Town while the Soul Reapers were cleansing the area that was transferred to the Soul Society. However, the Soul Society was returning to a state of normalcy and the Hollows would once again be able to feed in Karakura Town.

It made its way through the deserted streets. So far it did not sense any Soul Reapers around. It let out a low chuckle and continued hunting for prey. It then heard a whimpering noise coming from one of the side streets. It slunk towards the noise and saw the spirit of a young girl crying under a street lamp. It licked its teeth and made its way towards her.

**_Hell_**

Szayel Aporro opened his eyes. He sat up and saw Aaroniero lying nearby. He remembered that the bastard had tried to devour him. Then…_that bastard showed up. What did he say his name was again? Oh, that's right, his name was Shuren and he_…Szayel Aporro did not want to think about being defeated a third time. The first two times were against Mayuri Kurotsuchi who not only allowed his Bankai to devour him, but he then dared to suggest that he wasn't even a real scientist while slowly pushing his Zanpakuto towards his heart.

Szayel Aporro looked at Aaroniero and smiled to himself. This was the perfect opportunity to find out exactly what that fluid inside his tank was made of. He could just leave the two heads lying around for all eternity and not have to worry about getting devoured.

_Now…how to get that damn tank open?_

**_Squad 4 Barracks, Seireitei_**

_"I see…Now, I see…Her heart was always there…"_

"…In my hand," Ulquiorra said, opening his eyes.

His emerald eyes widened in surprise. He was no longer in Hueco Mundo. He felt his head, but did not feel his mask fragment. He reached to his chest and did not feel his Hollow hole. He was no longer a hollow.

"Well…look who's up," a surly voice said from next to him.

Ulquiorra turned and saw Grimmjow grinning at him. He saw that Nnoitora was also sitting up in a bed further down, glaring at them.

"Well…I'm surprised to see such trash as you so close to me," Ulquiorra said in his monotone voice.

"Yeah…nice to see ya too," Grimmjow snarled.

"Would you shut the fuck up?" Nnoitora shouted.

"Oh…are ya looking for a fight?" Grimmjow asked.

"Fuck yeah…I'm fucking bored. Where's that Kenpachi guy?"

"Please be quiet, trash," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh yeah…make us you stuck up kiss ass," Grimmjow growled.

"Now, now, patients should get their rest," someone said.

The three turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway, smiling at them. Judging from her uniform, she must be a Captain…a rather scary Captain. Ulquiorra could tell that this was someone who could even make Aizen weep and beg for mercy. However, Grimmjow and Nnoitora were too arrogant to realize that.

"Oh yeah; who the fuck are you?" Grimmjow snarled.

"No shit…I don't take orders from a fucking bitch," Nnoitora sneered.

"Now, now, patients shouldn't talk like that to their healer," she said, smiling at them.

Grimmjow and Nnoitora were about to respond…and then they really saw her smile. Ulquiorra was slightly…amused to see their faces grow pale and their faces express pure dread and terror. They immediately lay down in bed and covered their faces with their blankets.

"Yes…yes Ma'am," they said.

_Hmm, this woman is a forced to be reckoned with,_ Ulquiorra thought. _Not even Aizen got them to behave like that._

"And how are you feeling?" the woman asked Ulquiorra.

"I am a bit fatigued, Woman," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh, please, call me Unohana. Well, it's only natural that you would still feel fatigued."

"Are there any others like us who made it here, to the Soul Society?"

"Oh yes," Unohana said, smiling, although this one was not as threatening as her _other _smile. "We got one nice young man who's constantly asking where 'Master Nnoitora' is."

"Holy shit…Tesla's here," Nnoitora whispered. "Fuck, I thought I was rid of him for good."

"Then we got six men…although I'm not sure about one. He's continually pestering my squad for something a bit more…sexy to wear."

"Shit…Cuuhlhourne must be here too," Grimmjow muttered.

"How the fuck did that…that thing get here?" Nnoitora asked.

"Hmm, it sounds as though Baraggan's fraccion made it here as well. Have any other former Arrancars arrived?"

"Oh yes, three women just woke up and they are fighting with each other. A young girl, a man with a faded goatee, and a woman just got in."

"Well, it sounds as though Harribel and her fraccion are here as are Starrk and Lilynette. That is good news to hear," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh…are they friends of yours?" Unohana asked.

"I do not really know how to answer that," Ulquiorra said thinking about it.

**_Karakura Town_**

The spirit ran and the Hollow gave chase.

The Hollow had been careless. It had given out a soft chuckle as it approached the girl and the girl looked up. Seeing the Hollow, the girl became afraid and began to run. While the Hollow enjoyed a good chase, it was growing impatient. If this continued too long, then it might run into a squad of Soul Reapers on patrol.

"Come here, I promise to make it quick," it said.

However, the girl only continued to run. Then, she stopped. The Hollow thought that she might have finally accepted the inevitable. It launched at her.

The girl didn't know what made her stop. She only knew that some instinct took over. She turned and saw the Hollow jump at her. She smiled and launched herself at the creature. The creature's eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth as she grabbed hold of its head. She raised her head back, and then bit into the Hollow's mask.

The Hollow screamed in pain and horror. This was not the way it was supposed to go. Hollows were supposed to devour souls, not the other way around. However, this supposed law of nature did not matter to the girl. She only felt the need to devour the creature. She took another bite and this time blood gushed from the Hollow's wound.

"GET OFF ME, YOU BITCH!" the Hollow shrieked.

However, the spirit did not seem to hear. Instead, she continued to devour the Hollow. The Hollow felt its strength and energy flowing out of him and into her. The Hollow gave a shudder and then it died. The girl stood over the corpse, blood staining her lips and chin and her clothes. She heard footsteps behind her and turned.

"Did you do this?" the man asked.

She could not see his face, since the shadows hid it. She could only see the pair of black shoes, khaki pants, and a dark blue shirt, and a long black coat. She could tell that he was thin and slightly above average height. He held a walking stick with a golden head that resembled a human skull.

"I…I don't know…"

"It's alright. It's perfectly normal for you not to understand what's happened. Ah…your Chain of Fate is gone."

The girl looked at her chest where the broken chain once dangled. She saw that it was gone and not even the chain's anchor was where it had been. She looked at the man standing before her. She saw his hand stretched towards her. She backed away.

"It's alright, you're like me now. Don't worry, there are others. I'm sure you'll like them."

"Am I…am I a monster?"

"No, you are merely a leap forward in Soul Evolution," he said. "Tell me, do you remember your name?"

"I…I can't remember…"

"It's sad, but it is one of the consequences of evolving. Everyone should have a name, don't you think?"

"I…I guess so."

"Well, at least your honest about your uncertainty. It is good for everyone to have a name. Let me see…what would be the right name for you? Hmm, let's see. You're still a child. I think that the right name would be from authors who celebrated childhood…yes…I have it. You're name is Harper Bradbury."

"Harper…Bradbury?" she asked, uncertain.

"Of course, if you can't remember your own name, then use names from authors you admire. I happen to admire Harper Lee and Ray Bradbury who wrote excellent books about childhood."

"Harper Bradbury," the girl said again, trying out the name again and found that she liked it.

"Well then, shall we go, Harper Bradbury?" the man asked.

"Sure, but…where are we going?"

"We're going to your new family."

**End of Prologue**

**A.N.: This is the prologue to a story that I've been thinking about. While I was rewatching episodes of "Bleach" I began to wonder what would happen if a spirit _could_ devour a Hollow, or even a Soul Reaper? While Bleach and the Cannon characters belong to Tite Kubo, the OCs (especially the Mangiatori) are their own property.**


	2. Chapter 1: Soul Reaper Academy

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 1: Soul Reaper Academy**

_We see clearly in the sun_

_Unless our eyes our covered in mist_

_And we either cannot or will not see_

_The dangers that lie ahead_

_Hidden in a blanket of mist_

"Wake up, Starrk," Lilynette shouted.

Starrk stirred in his bed and got up. He yawned and looked out the window over the courtyard of Squad 8's barracks. He could see some of the Soul Reapers walking around below. Then he felt a fist connect with his head.

"Ouch, Lilynette, why did you do that?"

"Because, someone has to make sure you're not late for your first day of classes."

Starrk remembered. Yamamoto told them that they would have to take courses at the Soul Reaper Academy before they could officially join the Gotei 13. However, they were put on an accelerated course so that they could graduate in only about a month's time.

They already proved to be excellent at swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, however, they needed to get used to having to use Kido and Hoho as opposed to cero and sonído. They would also have to learn how to fulfill their duties as Soul Reapers, and would take classes with their fellow students for those classes. They would also be put in joint-class practice sessions to learn fighting maneuvers.

"Oh…that's right," Starrk muttered.

He went to the closet and pulled out a set of the official Academy uniform. Other than the fact that the hakama was blue, it wasn't too different from his Arrancar uniform, with the exception of the blue shitagi and white, blue-lined kosode. The hakama, tabi, and waraji came naturally to him, but he took some time figuring out the shitagi and kosode. He looked at Lilynette, who was tapping her foot and fidgeting with the Zanpakuto that she received when she was officially welcomed into the Soul Society.

Starrk looked at his own Zanpakuto, which was leaning against the wall. He was glad that Yamamoto found a way that Lilynette didn't have to be turned into a Zanpakuto and could be her own unique self. He felt the hilt that has engraved with a pack of silver wolves running across a desert landscape, a crescent moon high above them.

However, he was curious about what powers he retained from his time as an Arrancar. Yamamoto mentioned that his Shikai would be the equivalent of his regular Resurrección and that it was also likely that he could master Bankai, which would be the equivalent of something that Ulquiorra called "Resurrección Segunda Etapa". He never knew that as an Arrancar he could master a Resurrección Segunda Etapa.

"Are you coming?" Lilynette asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just hold on."

He grabbed his Zanpakuto and tucked it into the thick black sash he wore. As he walked past Lilynette, he rubbed her head. Lilynette only rolled her eyes at him and followed.

_**Squad 10 Barracks**_

Tia Harribel made sure that her red-lined kosode was on neatly. She grabbed her own Zanpakuto and tucked it into the turquoise sash she wore around her waist. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She was still getting used to actually seeing her face, especially now that she no longer had that mask hiding her lower face. She heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said.

"Hey, you lookin' good," Rangiku said as she walked in.

"Oh, hello Lieutenant Matsumoto," she said.

"Oh please, call me Rangiku. Your three friends do."

"It would be disrespectful."

"Tch, I don't mind at all. So, are you excited?"

"Excited?"

"Today's your first day at the Academy. God, I remember my first day."

"Oh yeah, what was it like?"

"Hmm…" Matsumoto hummed putting her finger under her chin and tilting he head up. "Let's see, I remember there were a lot of cute guys. Afterwards, some of us went out for drinks and I got so wasted that I actually took off my kosode and shitagi. I remember a lot of bleeding noses."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Oh come on…school can't be a wonderful experience without a few parties. Besides, I bet Starrk can't wait to see you in that uniform."

"RANGIKU!" Harribel shrieked, blushing.

Rangiku laughed. Harribel looked at her and then she laughed. She looked back at the mirror and smiled. Hopefully, most of the girls at the Academy would focus on Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. That way she wouldn't have to fight off too many from him.

"I think a little bit of makeup might be good for you," Rangiku said as she examined Harribel.

"Makeup?"

"Sure. A little bit of makeup do wonders for a girl. I think I might have something that would suit you."

Rangiku left and Harribel looked at herself in the mirror again. She never wore makeup before, and she was slightly curious. However, when she saw the large case that Rangiku was dragging behind her, she began to get a little worried.

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

Ulquiorra sat under one of the trees on the campus grounds. He was reading a book that he got from the Kuchiki family library. While he enjoyed his time with Squad 3, and occasionally helped with their paperwork, he found himself preferring to spend time with Byakuya Kuchiki. He found that the other Espadas who made it into the Soul Society were gravitating towards those Captains whose personalities were akin to their own.

Grimmjow and Nnoitora preferred to spend time with Kenpachi Zaraki and Squad 11, which wasn't surprising. Trash would gravitate towards trash. Starrk spent a lot of time with Kyoraku and Ukitake. The only one who hadn't found their niche was Harribel. Ulquiorra began thinking that perhaps it was mostly to do with her liking Starrk. He found himself surprised for even thinking that.

"I have much to learn about…the heart," he muttered, looking at his hand.

_**Karakura Town**_

Orihime Inoue made her way to Karakura High School. She looked at the ground ahead of her. Her school bag was clutched in front of her. Last night, she dreamed about Ulquiorra again. She dreamt of the sorrow that came into his emerald eyes and had become a part of her.

_"Are you afraid of me…Little Girl?"_

_"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid."_

_She reached out to take his outstretched his hand. However, as her fingers connected with his, they turned to ashes. The disintegration continued up his arm. She looked at him and saw sorrow in his eyes._

_"I see…Now, I see…" he said as he turned to ashes._

She always wondered what he saw. She wondered if he finally understood what she had meant when she told him that her soul was with her friends. She wondered if he finally understood what it meant to have a heart. She stopped and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hey, Orihime, are you alright?"

Orihime turned around and saw Uryuu Ishida coming towards her. He pushed his glasses up. When he got closer, she saw that he was concerned.

"Oh…hey, Uryuu," she said. "I was just…"

"You were thinking about what happened, weren't you?"

Orihime looked at the ground and nodded. Uryuu sighed.

"Don't," he said. "It doesn't do any good to think about what happened. We can only move forward, but never backwards."

"I know, but it's…it's just so…"

"Orihime, I'm sure that Ulquiorra is somewhere better," he said, although he wasn't sure what happened to Arrancars after they died. "I'm sure that you freed him from whatever imprisoned him."

"Yeah," Orihime said, smiling slightly. "How's Ichigo doing?"

"I don't know. Neither Chad nor I have seen much of him. However, the last time I saw him, I could sense that his Reiatsu was declining."

"That means he's losing his abilities…good," Orihime said, thinking about the form that Ichigo took when he fought Ulquiorra for the last time.

She was a girl divided. A part of her wanted to love Ichigo, and still did. That part wanted him to be alright. However, the other part hated and feared him. When Ichigo allowed his Inner Hollow to take possession, he had almost killed Uryuu and herself. However, Ulquiorra had saved them all. If Ulquiorra hadn't attacked from behind, then Ichigo would have forever lost his humanity. For that, she loved Ulquiorra.

_**Squad 8 Barracks**_

Starrk rushed through the courtyard with Lilynette at his heels. He saw Captain Kyoraku and waved at him. Kyoraku lifted his sake cup in a salute and laughed.

"Are ya running a bit late?" Kyoraku asked.

"Yeah…I overslept," Starrk said and rushed off.

Starrk leapt up onto the rooftops with Lilynette following him.

"I'll race ya," Lilynette said and she leapt across the pathway.

"Fine by me," Starrk said, grinning.

The two leapt from roof top to roof top. The soul reapers waved to them, and Starrk waved back. He found that was beginning to view that Soul Society as being his true home. He felt free and he no longer wished to just sleep in all day. He wanted to get out and enjoy the fresh air and the warmth of the sun. He was glad that he no longer felt alone. Lilynette, Harribel, Sung-Sun, Apacci, Mila Rose, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Kyoraku, Nanao, Ukitake, Kiyone, Sentaro, and all of the others he met since coming here: they were all friends to him.

"Come on, slow-poke," Lilynette shouted.

"Oh…you're not gonna beat me this time," Starrk said and increased his speed.

_**Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Office**_

Captain-Commander Yamamoto watched the two figures racing towards the Academy. He shook his head and chuckled. He remembered when Ukitake and Kyoraku were his pupils. They would race each other to the Academy just as Starrk and Lilynette were doing. At first he felt hesitant about the former Arrancars being there, but some of them were proving their worth.

He looked at the files on his desk that he made for the former Arrancars who arrived. Kenpachi already laid claim to Nnoitora and Grimmjow, which was no big surprise. Kyoraku took in Starrk and Lilynette, again, no big surprise. Ulquiorra seemed to be leaning more towards Byakuya Kuchiki now. Tesla was surprisingly, eyeing Squad 7, and not Squad 11 like his former "Master Nnoitora" was. Baraggan's former fraccion were aiming for Squad 11, except for Ggio Vega who was leaning more towards Squad 2 and Poww who was leaning towards Squad 3. As for Harribel and her three comrades, whom Yamamoto had burned to a crisp during the battle at the Fake Karakura Town, they weren't quite sure where to go. However, because they were spending so much time at Squad 10's barracks, it was likely that they would go there.

Yamamoto looked at the files again and picked out four. He knew that those four would rise quickly to being able to join the Gotei.

"Chojiro, come here, I need to speak with you."

At once, his Lieutenant, Chojiro Sasakibe, was standing in front of his desk. He gave an English-style bow and Yamamoto frowned. While Chojiro was into Western culture, he was not. However, he was good to have whenever Yamamoto had to make dealings with the Western Soul Reapers.

"Yes, Captain, what do you need me to do?" Chojiro asked.

"I need you to get Gotei uniforms ready for these four individuals. However, I don't want any ordinary uniforms for them. These uniforms are supposed to match their personalities."

"You wish for the Arrancar to have a separate uniform from the others, sir?"

"Only for these four," Yamamoto said. "They have shown signs of being very…unique. I think that they may even prove to be very important for the Soul Society. Plus, I don't think that the usual Soul Reaper uniforms would look as good on them."

"Very good, sir," the Butler said. "Should I go ahead and have special uniforms made for the others as well? In case you decide to change your mind about them."

"Of course, but…don't get a special uniform for that Cuuhlhourne character. I honestly have no idea how he ended up here, but based on the outfits I've seen him wear… It's best for everyone's sanity if he only gets the usual uniform."

"I would have to agree with you on that one, sir."

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

"I beat ya," Lilynette shouted, leaping with joy.

"No…I think I won," Starrk said.

"Baka," Lilynette muttered. "It's obvious that I won."

"Whatever you say," Starrk said, chuckling.

"Hey, look who's up," Grimmjow said, smiling when he saw Starrk and Lilynette.

"Hey Grimm, how's Squad 11 treating ya?"

"Oh…ya know. Wake up in the morning and get a little morning exercise with Kenpachi. Unfortunately, he and Nnoitora were a little too…enthusiastic. Nnoitora had to be taken to Squad 4's barracks."

Starrk laughed at that. The both knew why Nnoitora would always get a little too wild whenever he had morning practice with Kenpachi. They also knew that chances were very likely that before he got out, Nnoitora would get in trouble with Captain Unohana and he would most likely cower in some corner. Starrk was fortunate to never have to be on the receiving end of her _other_ smile.

Whenever he was sent to Squad 4, Starrk would make sure to always be on his best behavior and would do whatever Unohana asked him to do. He saw what happened whenever someone said that they wouldn't be able to do something for her or if they messed with the members of Squad 4. It got to where some of the other squads actually recruited him to go to Squad 4 for them.

"Will he be in time for class?" Starrk asked.

"Oh yeah…ah…here he comes," Grimmjow said.

"What's up, bitches?" Nnoitora shouted to them, grinning.

"Hey, isn't that Captain Unohana behind you?" Starrk asked.

Nnoitora froze and immediately jumped into a cluster of bushes. Grimmjow laughed when he saw the bushes shaking with Nnoitora's fear. Lilynette also laughed and Starrk merely smiled.

"Damn, Starrk, I didn't know ya had it in ya," Grimmjow said and slapped his back so hard that Starrk took a couple of steps forward.

"I just didn't want to deal with him so early in the morning," Starrk said, rubbing his hair.

"Hey guys," Harribel said, walking towards them. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, hey Bel," Starrk said, blushing. "You…uh…you look great."

"Oh…thanks, Starrk," Harribel said also blushing.

"Oh, hey Tia," Grimmjow said, finally noticing her. "Starrk here just played a prank on Nnoitora."

"What?" Harribel asked, shocked.

"I ain't shittin' ya. Just look at that cluster of bushes," Grimmjow said, pointing to the bushes that were still trembling.

"What did you do?" Harribel asked, turning to Starrk.

"Oh…uh…" Starrk muttered, turning bright red. "I just told him that Captain Unohana was right behind him."

Harribel stared wide-eyed at Starrk and began to laugh.

"Oh…oh God…that's…that's priceless," she gasped.

"I know," Grimmjow said. "And it came from STARRK of all people!"

"What is this noise about?" Ulquiorra asked, approaching the group of the other former Espada.

"Oh…Starrk played a prank on Nnoitora," Harribel said.

"Really…Starrk actually…played a joke?" Ulquiorra asked, only betraying a little bit of his shock.

"Yeah…he…he told him…told him that….that Captain Unohana…was…was right behind him," Harribel said and then broke out into laughter.

Ulquiorra tried to fight back his smile, but failed.

"Whoa…you can actually SMILE?" Grimmjow said, shocked. "Man, this is just a day filled with surprises. First, Starrk plays a prank on Nnoitora. Then, Ulquiorra actually smiled. Damn, the world must be coming to an end."

"Huh…" Starrk said, shrugging.

"Shut up, trash," Ulquiorra said. "Come, we need to get to class."

_**Karakura Town**_

Harper Bradbury felt ill.

She was tossing on the couch. Her muscles were tightening and her head began to hurt. The man who took her here watched. The others stood around her, watching and waiting. He knew that the morning after the first consumption was always the most difficult. However, everything was a struggle and this was no exception. He noticed that those areas that were translucent were beginning to become more solid.

"How is she?" one of the figures, a woman, asked.

"She's suffering, Sylvia," the man said, getting up and walked towards the girl.

The figure of Sylvia O'Conner moved with him towards the girl. He knelt beside the couch and put a hand on her. She was gasping for breath. He knew that the moment was near. He put his forehead against hers and whispered soothing words to her. She relaxed and fell asleep.

"Now…we wait," he said. "When she awakens, so will her Inner Soul. Howard, is her Gigai ready?"

"It is," Howard Machen said. He was rather tall and thin, wearing a long dark green coat with cream-colored trim that hung to the back of his knees and a dark blue suit. A pair of silver opera glasses that were attached to an ivory and gold-engraved lorgnette handle was sticking out of the inner pocket of his coat.

"Good. When she's ready, make sure the Gigai's lying next to her and the Net's covering her, just in case."

"Very well," Howard Machen said and he rushed to the next room.

"Just hang in there a little bit more," the man said. "Everything will be alright very soon."

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

"Alright, now then, I want to see how well you can perform Kido," the instructor said.

The five former Espada and Lilynette were standing in a row, waiting for their turn. Starrk looked over at Grimmjow and Nnoitora, both looked rather bored. He knew that they would rather be down in the exercise yard sparing with the other students, but they needed to learn Kido. Lilynette was anxious to get started and show them what she could do. He had seen her practicing Kido with some of the Squad 8 members and knew that she would do rather well.

"Hey Starrk," someone called out from the sidelines.

Starrk looked over and saw Kyoraku and Ukitake who waved at him. He smiled and waved back. He thought it was kind of the two captains to take some time off and watch them practice. He then noticed that many of the other students and instructors were also watching them. He turned his attention back to the instructor who was going over the basics of Kido.

"Now then," the instructor said. "Who can tell me what the three types of Kido are?"

"Bakudo, or 'Way of Binding', which is used mainly for defense," Ulquiorra said. "Then there is Hado, or 'Way of Destruction', which are mostly used for offense. Then there are Healing Spells."

"Very good, Ulquiorra," the instructor said. "Now, I want to know how well you can perform one of the most commonly used Hado spells, Shakkaho. Now, I usually do not teach this until the student is in the fourth year, but Captain-Commander Yamamoto made it very clear that he has you on the fast track. Now, the incantation for this spell goes: Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Then after you say that, you then say…" the instructor turned and aimed at a series of targets on the other end of the open field. "Hado 31, Shakkaho," he roared and a red ball of light shot out from his hand and destroyed one of the targets. "Alright, let's start with Grimmjow."

A murmur rose from the crowd. They were anxious to see what the former Espada could do. However, Starrk only ignored them. He wanted to observe how the others did.

"Fine…let's get this shit out of the way," Grimmjow said.

He took his position and repeated the spell, but as soon as he said, "Hado 31, Shakkaho" he was blown backwards. Nnoitora laughed at him and Ulquiorra only muttered something that sounded like "figures" or "trash" under his breath. Grimmjow got up and dusted himself off. Some of those in the crowd laughed and applauded.

"Aw, is Kitty high on cat nip?" Nnoitora teased.

"Shut the fuck up…shit…I can't call you Spoon Head anymore. Oh wait a minute. I can still call you Mantis Boy or Twiggy or Captain Piano Teeth. So…shut the fuck up Mantis Boy. I kinda figured I wouldn't be good at this Kido crap," he growled. "I prefer a good old fashioned sword fight. How about you, Twiggy, can you do some crappy magic tricks or are you too much of a pussy to do that?"

"Now then, let me show you how it's done, Pussy Cat," Nnoitora said and made his way to the line.

Nnoitora repeated the spell, but when he said "Hado 31, Shakkaho" he only succeeded in having the spell blow up in his face. Grimmjow laughed harder than Nnoitora did and their audience joined in. Nnoitora, looked more embarrassed, but then he just gave a wave of his hand.

"I don't need this bullshit," he muttered.

Ulquiorra, once again muttered something that sounded like either "figures" or "trash". Harribel rolled her eyes and Starrk only yawned. The instructor proceeded to Ulquiorra who got up and repeated the spell. However, when Ulquiorra said, "Hado 31, Shakkaho", a steady stream of green light came out of his hand and pierced the target's bull's eye before exploding on the other side. The students and instructors watching began to talk among themselves again. This time, they were in awe at Ulquiorra's ability.

"Wow, that's incredible," the instructor said. "I've never seen anyone have so much control over how much energy to emit for this spell on their first attempt, and with such excellent precision as well."

"Thank you Sensei," Ulquiorra said and took his seat.

Starrk saw that Ukitake and Kyoraku were talking about that impressive display with some of the other students and instructors. Starrk only shook his head. He knew that Ulquiorra was an over-achiever, so it didn't surprise him that Ulquiorra would put on a display like that. Harribel then got up and took her position at the line. She held out her hand, but did not utter the spell.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho," she said and a stream of red light flowed out of her like a river.

It seemed to wind through the air like a snake, continually weaving as though it was chasing something. When it struck the target, it seemed to engulf it and then explode. The instructor's jaw dropped. If he thought that Ulquiorra's display was impressive, he clearly thought that Harribel's ability to change the trajectory that the spell traveled was even more impressive. Starrk knew that Harribel's competitive streak had taken over to get her to show that.

"Yes, now it's my turn," Lilynette said.

"Show them what you can do, Lilynette," Starrk said.

"Oh…I will," she said grinning.

She repeated the spell and held her hand out. When she said "Hado 31, Shakkaho" a perfectly round orb of crimson light shot out with such great speed that the instructor barely saw it. It struck the target and bore a hole through it. However, unlike the other displays, there was no explosion. Instead, the orb just seemed to evaporate on the other side. Lilynette grinned and took her seat. The instructor was utterly perplexed and so were the audience.

"Well…looks like I'm last," Starrk said, feeling a little competitive himself.

He got up and took his position. He only held out his hand. The instructor waited to see what would happen.

"Well…say it," the instructor said.

Starrk only shook his head and then briefly twitched his fingers. A bright flash of crimson came from his hand. The others tried to follow the path the light took, but were unable to. They waited for the sound of an explosion to come, but it didn't. The instructor looked around, hoping that Starrk didn't accidently hit one of the buildings, and then he saw that three of the targets, each one target apart from each other, were incinerated. His mouth dropped open and the others looked on in amazement as well.

"That's…that's impossible," the instructor muttered. "There's no way that you could split a single Hado spell into three separate spells. Also…also…you four…" he suddenly realized something. "You four shot Kido spells using Shakkaho that wasn't even like Shakkaho. It was as though you Kido is completely different from our Kido."

"Damn, if he fought like that during the Winter War, we would have been defeated," Kyoraku whispered.

"I know," Ukitake said. "I barely saw it happen, but their Kido is definitely different from ours."

"What's more," Kyoraku said. "I don't think that was what he was fully capable of. Unlike the others, it didn't feel as though he was putting any effort behind it."

"I guess it's a good thing he's now on our side," Ukitake said.

"It's a good thing that they're _all_ on our side now," Kyoraku corrected.

The other instructors and students were wide-eyed. None of them were able to say anything. Then they burst out in applause and cheers. They rushed to the Espada, and surrounded them, except for Grimmjow and Nnoitora who were too busy mocking each other to take any notice. Ukitake nudged Kyoraku and pointed. He turned and saw Yamamoto standing under a cherry tree, watching the former Espada.

_**Karakura High School**_

Ichigo sat on the ground. His lunch of rice balls and cashew chicken opened before him. He took a sip of his orange soda. Rukia, Chad, Uryuu, Tatsuki, and Orihime sat with him. It was the first time in a few weeks that he felt like being with them. They were his friends after all and he decided that he had enough of sulking.

"This is nice," Ichigo said.

"What is?" Rukia asked.

"You know…this…hanging out with friends…eating lunch together," he said and looked at Orihime. "Look…I…I'm sorry Orihime. I should have been there for you."

"Oh, it's alright," Orihime said and took another bite from her pickle, bean paste, and strawberry cake. "I'm alright now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…I'm sure," Orihime said, turning away.

"Oh, alright," Ichigo said, not believing her.

Tatsuki looked from Ichigo to Orihime and sighed. Something had happened between them, but she didn't know what. However, she felt it had something to do with that time that Orihime disappeared and Ichigo went with Chad and Uryuu to a place called Hueco Mundo to rescue her. She would have to ask Orihime about it.

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

It was lunchtime at the Soul Reaper Academy. The students were eating wherever they wanted to. The former Espadas decided to eat under one of the cherry trees in the large park area that students used to take walks during their break times. However, they did not notice the large group of female students who were stalking them or the smaller, but rather large group of male students who were stalking Harribel.

"Oh God, they're so hot," one of the girls said, starting to drool.

Many of the girls in the extremely large pack sighed and nodded. Others, only rolled their eyes, but inwardly they thought the same thing. They saw another group going towards the Espada, and some of the girls began to giggle when they saw Ggio Vega leading the way. The former Espada noticed them and waved for them to come and join them.

"Oh God, it just got hotter," one of the other girls said, and began tugging at her kosode.

Some of the other girls began to fan themselves and a couple even fainted. In the boys group, noses burst when they saw Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun sitting with Harribel. Their sex-crazed minds immediately imagined a four-way between Harribel and the three women, and some…actually make that most…even included Squad 10's Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, for good measure. Let's just say that when it comes to groups of guys and girls, the girls usually have the more interesting conversations.

"Oh man, the ex-Arrancars are something else," a female student said to her friends.

"Yeah, no kidding," one of her friends said. "I wish that more of the Gotei men looked like them."

"Well…I don't know about you, but that Ulquiorra is a real hottie. He's got that whole sexy emo look to him."

"No way, he's too pale. Frankly, I prefer Grimmjow. You wanna talk about hot, just look at him when he has his shirt off," one of the other friends said, giggling.

"When did you see him with his shirt off?" another asked, intrigued.

"Oh…when they were practicing maneuvers with my class," she said, giggling.

"You lucky…you got to see one of them with their shirt off?"

"Oh yeah, and he was totally ripped."

"Well…he may be hot, but look with who he hangs out with," another said and gestured at Nnoitora who was gulping down food and allowing some of the sauce to spill on his clothes.

Of course, if they saw Yammy eating, they would think Nnoitora a gentleman by comparison. Fortunately, Yammy was caught in Hell, wondering around, probably looking for Ulquiorra to tell him what to do, and beating up anyone who dared get in his way. Unfortunately, at least for him, he thought he could challenge the gate keeper.

"Come on, that's actually pretty funny," one of the girls said. "Although, I'm curious, does anyone find that Nnoitora guy sexy?"

The girls looked at each other and shook their heads. None of them really found Nnoitora attractive, especially with those teeth. They thought he looked as though he tried to swallow a grand piano or something.

"Oh…what about…Starrk?" one of the girls asked, her voice becoming dreamy when she said his name.

"Oh yeah, now there's a real man," another said. "He has that whole loner vibe. Not to mention that distinguished and yet aloof attitude too."

"Oh man, his hair is so wavy and it looks so soft."

"It looks dirty."

"Well, you can't deny that he's very powerful."

"You mean what he did on the Kido range? Holy shit, I've never seen anyone do that before. I mean, he used a single Kido, did not say any of it out loud, and he took out three separate targets that were separated by another target."

"Yeah…too bad he hangs out with someone like…_her_," another girl and her tone darkened.

The girls all stared daggers at Harribel. If they really could shoot daggers at her, not even Harribel's former fraccion would be able to protect her.

"Yeah, what does he see in _her_ anyways? I mean, just look at her hair."

"They're called 'boobs'," one girl, who was reading a text book, said, sounding bored.

"What would you know about it? She's a bitch and a slut and…"

"You're just jealous because Starrk's paying more attention to her than to you. Likewise, you're also jealous because that group of drooling idiots over there is also paying more attention to her than you," she said, still reading her text book and still sounding bored. She gestured to the group of boys whose eyes looked as if they were about to pop out as she was talking.

"Well…he may be sexy-as-Hell and he may be powerful, but I think that Ggio Vega is so gorgeous."

"Oh yeah…too bad they have that eye-sore with them," one said.

Meanwhile, while the ex-Arrancars were eating their lunches, Starrk turned to get his bottle of tea. He saw the girls staring at them as if they were looking at a piece of meat.

"Hey, Ulquiorra," Starrk said.

"What is it, Starrk?"

"Why are those girls staring at us?"

"Hmm," Ulquiorra said and looked at the girls. "They appear to be hungry. But…what nourishment can we provide? I do not think that we are food, unless Soul Reapers practice cannibalism. Or, do they wish for us to share some of our food with them?"

"Oh my," Cuuhlhourne said. "Those boys are staring at me. Ah, they must know true beauty when they see it."

"I don't think they're staring at you," Ggio said.

"EXACTA!" Findor cried out.

Harribel turned and saw the group of boys who were ogling her and her fraccion. She closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth. A part of her just wanted to use that Shakkaho spell and knock them all into next week. Lilynette looked at her and whispered something into her ear. Harribel smiled and looked at Cuuhlhourne.

"I think those young gentlemen would like to say 'hello' to you, but they must be very shy. How about you go say 'hi'," Harribel suggested.

"Ah, a wonderful suggestion," Cuuhlhourne and rushed towards the boys. "I'M COMING, MY DARLINGS! I, CHARLOTTE CUUHLHOURNE, THE BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY, IS FLYING TO YOU!" he shouted.

The boys suddenly realized who was rushing towards them. They screamed in terror and scattered throughout the park. Of course, this only encouraged Cuuhlhourne who thought that they were playing hard-to-get. Harribel laughed and then Sung-Sun tapped her on the shoulder.

"What is it Sung-Sun?"

"I believe that group of girls over there are staring in our direction," Sung-Sun said. "And they have a predatory look to them."

Harribel looked and rolled her eyes. She saw that Starrk and Ulquiorra were looking in that direction. Starrk looked rather worried while Ulquiorra only looked curious. Harribel noticed that many of them were staring at Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, or Starrk. However, they were also staring at a certain member of Baraggan's fraccion.

"Damn it," she muttered. "Apacci, Mila Rose…feed 'em."

Apacci and Mila Rose looked at each other and grinned. They knew that Harribel would never surrender Starrk to them and they guessed that Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were out of the question as well. That left only one "babe-magnet". After all, the only person to understand a rabid fan girl is…another girl. They got up and stood on either side of Ggio Vega. He looked up at them, in surprise.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Mila Rose and Apacci grinned at him. He noticed the evil gleam that came into their eyes and he became afraid. The other members of Baraggan's fraccion only stared as the two women picked him up and carried him to the pack of girls. The girls looked up and began to giggle again. However, the greedy look that came into their eyes made Ggio want to cry out. Apacci and Mila Rose tossed him and before Ggio could get to his feet, the girls were all over him.

"HELP ME!" Ggio cried out.

"Starrk, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow," Harribel said.

"What?" Grimmjow asked.

"I think you better run before they're finished with Ggio."

However, the girls were already finished with Ggio and they looked at the three. Ulquiorra finally understood why they were looking at them when he saw Ggio lying on the ground, his uniform practically ripped to shreds.

"Oh shit," Grimmjow moaned.

"You lucky fuckers," Nnoitora snarled.

"Uh…I think we should run," Starrk said.

"I must admit that I find them…rather terrifying. They are a lot more frightening than Ichigo when he was Hollowfied," Ulquiorra said. "And considering that he killed me in that form…I do not wish to find out what they can do."

"Then I suggest that you shut the fuck up and just start running," Grimmjow said.

"Okay, we run on the count of three," Starrk said. "One…two…THREE!"

The three men rushed away from the girls who charged after them. The only one in that group who didn't move was the girl who was reading her text book. Harribel knew that there would be no way to stop them and so she shuffled to the side-line. She hoped that they would remember their lessons in Hoho.

_**Karakura High School**_

"Hey, Orihime," Tatsuki called out.

"Oh…hey Tatsuki," Orihime said.

"Orihime, are you sure that you're alright."

"Oh…oh yeah, I'm alright Tatsuki."

"Orihime, how long have we been friends?"

"Uh…well...ever since we were in middle school, I guess."

"That's right. We've been friends ever since your brother died. So don't take me for some kind of fool. I know that something's wrong. You're behaving the way you did since your brother died."

"Tatsuki…I…I don't…"

"No, we're going to talk about this now. Orihime, I'm your friend and friends are supposed to support each other and be honest with each other. Something's wrong, but you're afraid to face it."

"You…you don't understand…"

"Don't I? I saw how Ichigo suffered after his mother died. I saw how you suffered after your brother died. Whenever I saw either of you suffering, I suffered too, because you're my friends. So don't tell me that I don't understand. You may think that you have us all fooled, but you don't. We all know that something's wrong. But the others are too chicken to talk to you about it."

"Why are you doing this, Tatsuki?"

"I'm doing this because you need to snap out of it, girl. You need to just let go of whatever is bothering you. Damn it, Orihime, we're your friends. If you can't trust us with sharing your burden, who can you trust? You don't need to go through this alone."

Orihime looked at Tatsuki in surprise. Someone had told her something like that. She remembered a man with shoulder-length brown hair and blue-grey eyes looking at her. She had still been a prisoner to Lord Aizen. It was after she healed Grimmjow and saw him kill Luppi. Ulquiorra had taken her to her cell and locked her in. She was crying when she heard the door open and she saw a man and a woman standing in the doorway. She didn't know who they were then. She remembered their kindness to her and their sorrow for her.

_**Las Noches, When Orihime was Aizen's Prisoner**_

_"Are you alright?" the woman asked._

_Orihime wiped the tears away from her eyes and nodded._

_"No you're not," the man said._

_"Starrk, that's enough. This human has gone through a lot. She's been taken from her friends. Of course she's not alright, but she wants to think that she is?"_

_"Uh…why?"_

_"I don't know, I guess it's one way that humans deal with their suffering."_

_"But, why do they think that they have to suffer alone? Harribel, you said that she has 'friends'. Won't they be suffering too?"_

_"Uh…I…I…" Orihime muttered._

_"Listen, you don't have to suffer alone," Starrk said, kneeling in front of Orihime. "I understand what Loneliness is, and you feel alone right now. But, you have to remember that your friends are suffering too. You're lucky to have real friends who can share each other's burdens and who care for each other. Remember, you don't have to go through this alone."_

_"Starrk, that's the most I've heard you say without falling asleep," Harribel said, chuckling._

_"Well…I just…wanted to help her. Anyways," he said with a yawn. "I'm tired. I'm gonna take a nap."_

_**The Present**_

"I…I understand," Orihime said, tears began to flow. "Tatsuki, I…I'm such a bad friend…"

"No you're not, Orihime," Tatsuki said, embracing her. "You just need to learn how to let go. That's all."

"I…I need to apologize to Ichigo," Orihime said.

"You do that," Tatsuki said. "So, what was bothering you anyways?"

"It was…the death of a very close friend," Orihime said. "You…you never got a chance to meet him, but in the time I knew him…"

"It's alright, Orihime. I understand."

Orihime smiled and Tatsuki smiled back. The sun was smiling again.

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

Harribel sat, waiting for their next class to begin. She heard the door open and looked up and saw Ulquiorra walk in. He looked around him, but did not see any of the stalker girls around. He breathed a sigh of relief and made his way to the table where Harribel was sitting.

"What happened to Starrk and Grimmjow?" she asked.

"I do not know," Ulquiorra replied. "We separated. I remembered the Hoho training we received from Sensei Yoruichi and used flash step to get away. As for the others, I do not know. Wait, Lilynette, can you sense Starrk?"

"I don't know," Lilynette said, looking up from doodling in her Chappy the Rabbit notebook. "Let me try."

Lilynette closed her eyes and concentrated. Harribel looked at Ulquiorra.

"I can't believe I forgot that they share a special bond," Harribel said.

"It is understandable. I just remembered it myself when I saw her. However, it is a pity that the means of finding out what fate has befallen Grimmjow are not so readily available."

"I found him," Lilynette said, smiling. "He's alright. He's making his way to class even now, but he's being cautious. He spotted a group of the girls walking in the hall and he hid."

"How did he escape?" Harribel asked.

"Hold on," Lilynette said and closed her eyes again. "Ah…he simply jumped up in a tree and hid among the branches until the girls went past him and then he used flash step to reach the school."

"Does he know what happened to Grimmjow?" Harribel asked.

"There's no need to have her ask me. I'm here," Starrk said from right next to her.

"What the fuck? How the hell did you get here so fast?" Harribel asked.

"Oh…I just flash stepped here. I figured I might as well."

"I am sure that Sensei Yoruichi would be proud," Ulquiorra said.

"Yeah…well…they don't call her the 'Goddess of Flash' for nothing," Starrk said and yawned.

"Well…don't scare me like that," Harribel said and whacked him on the head with her textbook.

"Easy, Bel, you're becoming as bad as Lilynette."

"Maybe I should take a page from her book."

"Are you kidding?" Lilynette asked. "I'll just copy the whole thing for ya."

"Starrk, where is Grimmjow?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I have no idea, but I…wait…I think I might have an idea of what happened to him," Starrk said and pointed to the door.

Ulquiorra and Harribel looked and saw a cluster of the girls coming in. They were giggling with each other and one of them was holding what looked like a piece of teal-colored cloth. It looked as though it had come from the sash that a certain former Espada wore. Some of the girls were even sniffing it or trying to cuddle with it.

"This is not good," Ulquiorra said.

"I guess it's true," Starrk said. "Rabid fan girls really _are_ more dangerous than Aizen."

Somewhere in the cluster of trees in the park, Grimmjow gathered the remnants of his uniform and covered himself as best he could. He looked as if he went ten rounds with Captain Zaraki and then was treated by Captain Kurotsuchi and then served as Yoruichi's punching bag. He stayed hidden until Nnoitora came, looking for him. Nnoitora grinned at the shivering figure hidden among the bushes.

"Damn, you look like shit," Nnoitora said.

"Just shut the fuck up, Whale Mouth," Grimmjow snarled.

"Aw, is the poo' widdel Kitty sca'ed?" Nnoitora asked in his most obnoxious baby-talk voice.

"That's it…I'm gonna…FUCKIN' KILL YA!" Grimmjow roared.

_**Karakura Town**_

The Soul Reaper, Akemi, made her way through the empty streets. Night had fallen and so far she had only performed Konso on only one soul and was not forced to attack any Hollows. She thought that it was probably that Zennosuke Kurumadani was actually doing his job. However, there was something different about Karakura Town.

It was quiet. The only sounds were the usual noises that were in large cities, but those were living sounds. However, Hollows were nowhere to be found and usually she would have found at least ten spirits by now.

"Something's not right," she muttered.

She reached into the small pouch that she had tied to her sash and brought out her soul pager and opened the screen. The screen was blank and she dialed the number for the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, but then something caught her eye. She put her pager away and drew out her Zanpakuto.

She couldn't be sure, but she thought that she saw something in one of the side alleys. She carefully approached the alley, her Zanpakuto drawn and her senses sharp. After years of being a Soul Reaper, she thought she was prepared for anything. However, she wasn't prepared for what she saw. When she saw the Hollow in the alley, she froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She dug out her soul pager and immediately redialed the number for the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. It didn't take long for one of Mayuri's "subordinates" to answer.

"Shinigami Research and Development Institute, this is Rin speaking."

"Rin, this is Akemi from Squad 13, is Akon there?"

"Yeah, he just got here…wait a moment."

Akemi kept her eyes on the Hollow, but so far it had not moved. Either it was very intelligent or it was very dead, but Akemi knew better than to let her guard down. It didn't take long for Akon to get on the line and he sounded rather bored.

"This is Akon, what do you want, Akemi?"

"Listen, I've got what appears to be a partially devoured Hollow here. However, it does not appear to have been devoured by another Hollow."

"That's impossible. If it's dead then it shouldn't be there. Hollows dissolve after they die when they're in the World of the Living."

"Well…this one's still here for some reason. I'm sending you the scans right now."

She swept her soul pager across the Hollow's corpse. The information it collected was immediately sent to the Soul Society where Akon and the other members of the Institute looked at it. Their eyes widened when they saw what it said.

"Akemi," Akon said, he no longer sounded bored. "We're sending a team. Stay at your current position until they arrive. I'll notify Captain Kurotsuchi about this. He might be…very interested."

**End of Chapter 1**

**A.N.: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.**

**I know that I tweaked with Shakkaho quite a bit, but I did that for a reason: to show that the former Espada's Kido is very different from the usual Soul Reaper Kido, which means that their over-all abilities will be different from the regular Soul Reaper's. I was also partially influenced with how Don Kanonji's Spirit Cannon Ball is essentially a very small, slow-moving version of Shakkaho (Hado 31) or Sho (Hado 1). I figured that if a human's version of Hado was like Don Kanonji's Spirit Cannon Ball, then a former Arrancar's would be more akin to cero and decided to run with it.**

**Since I'm imaginging this story as being like the anime, I'll share my ideas for the opening credit song and closing credit songs:**

**Opening Credit: "Kiri" by Monoral (From the album "Turbulence")**

**Closing Credit: "Utsusemi no Kage" by Kukui (From "Rozen Maiden Overture"), "I'll Be Your Home" by Oikawa Rin (From the "Devil May Cry OST")**


	3. Chapter 2: Like the Heart of Mist

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 2: "Like the Heart of Mist"**

_We all have a raison d'être_

_A reason for going on_

_It is as strong as steel and yet fragile_

_Like the Heart of Mist_

_This Soul of Fog_

He sat next to the sleeping Harper Bradbury. Her breaths were becoming shallow. He looked at his watch and then he looked back at her. Her face was becoming flushed again and her aura was becoming brighter. He then saw something rising from the glow and he smiled.

"It's happening," someone said.

He looked at the woman standing in front of him. She was fingering her chin-length black hair. She was clad in a pair of tight leather pants tucked into knee-high boots and a very tight and low-cut white sleeveless shirt that showed off her considerable bosom.

"Hello, Emily, you're looking as lovely as ever."

"Shut up," she said, slightly annoyed. "How close is she?"

"It's very soon. I'm glad I found her when I did, otherwise she would have disintegrated by now."

"Milton, she still could…you know…disintegrate."

"If that happens, then her Spirit will return to where all Spirits are first formed to be remade into a new Spirit. However, I don't intend to let that happen."

"You never do, but it still happens from time-to-time."

"I know. Not all things can handle the course of Evolution and thus fade away. And Spiritual Evolution is the most difficult path to travel."

"Why is it so difficult, though? I almost disintegrated during my own Awakening. I don't want to think what she might have to go through."

"It's difficult because the Spirit is the most fragile and yet the strongest part of any being. It's what gives the being its _raison d'être_ and yet it's like the Heart of Mist. It can easily be broken."

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

"GOOD…MORNING…ICHIGO!"

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his door and stood to the side as his dad, Isshin, flew into the room and then out the open window. Ichigo couldn't help but smile now that his dad was back to normal. The time where Isshin hadn't been trying to knock his son unconscious, or at least trying to drive him insane, every moment of the day was rather weird.

Ichigo made his way downstairs and his dad opened the door. Isshin was grinning and looking at his son with obvious pride.

"Excellent job," Isshin said.

Ichigo only planted his foot in his dad's face.

"Would you stop trying to kill me first thing in the morning?"

"Come on, son, you need to stay alert."

"Well, it's good to know that things are getting back to normal around here," one of Ichigo's younger sisters, Karin, said.

"Come on, Dad. You're going to get in trouble with the neighbors," his other sister, Yuzu, said.

"Well, someone has to keep your brother on his toes," Isshin said.

"And someone needs to put you in a mental asylum," Karin said, rolling her eyes.

"Not to mention," Ichigo said. "Someone needs to take away your morning coffee."

"Oh, Masaki," Isshin said, rushing to the large poster of his long-dead wife and mother of his children. "Our little babies are getting into that rebellious stage. They're…they're growing up," he said, sniffing.

"YOU SAID THAT A LONG TIME AGO!" Ichigo and Karin shouted.

"Now, now, that's enough," Yuzu said. "You don't want your breakfast getting cold, do you?"

"Fine, whatever," Ichigo said. "Hey Dad…"

"Leave him," Karin said. "It just means more for us."

_**Karakura Town**_

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi looked down at the Hollow's corpse. His gold eyes glittered with the maniacal glee that usually came into his eyes when he was looking at something new. His Lieutenant and "Clone-Daughter", Nemu, was busy doing a full scan of the Hollow. Akemi leaned against the alley's wall, watching as the team from Squad 12 was scurrying to collect samples.

"This is most intriguing," Mayuri said. "There appears to be some kind of residue that I've never come across before. Nemu, get a sample of that residue, you worthless girl."

"Yes Master Mayuri," Nemu said in her monotonous voice.

Akemi rolled her eyes. She hoped that one day Nemu would simply have enough and rip out Mayuri's balls. However, the likelihood of that happening was the same as Captain Zaraki growing tired of fighting. Also, did Mayuri even have balls anymore? She shook the thought out of her mind. She just hoped that Captain Freakshow didn't keep her waiting much longer.

"Hey Akemi," someone said.

Akemi turned and smiled when she saw her fellow Squad 13 member rushing towards her. As usual she was in her Gigai. A school bag was clutched in her hand. She was not surprised to see a Chappy the Rabbit charm hanging from the bag's grip.

"Oh, hey Sachiko," Akemi said.

"So, what's going on here?"

"Oh, Captain Mayuri's examining that Hollow over there."

"What…a dead Hollow in the World of the Living? Don't they usually disintegrate?"

"They do, but this one didn't. Also, it was partially devoured."

"Who found it?"

"Why do you think I'm standing here? I mean, I've got better things to do than having to watch Squad 12 collect their little samples."

As she said "little samples", two of the team passed, carrying a rather large container to the opening that led back to the Soul Society. They were having problems with trying to carry it.

"NEMU!" Mayuri shrieked. "Make sure those idiots don't drop that sample."

"Yes Master Mayuri."

"How long have they been at this?" Sachiko asked.

"Let's see here," Akemi said thinking. "I reported it at around 10:33 PM, Karakura human time and it's…about 8:27AM," she said looking at her soul pager.

"Wow," Sachiko said. "Well, I better get going. I'm supposed to get to class."

"Oh, does that mean you're being stationed here?"

"Yeah, and I want to surprise Rukia. Oh, and they're also sending a couple of students in as well."

"They're not any of the former Arrancars, are they?"

"No, just two ordinary students who need to do their three month internship in the World of the Living. It's too bad. I would like to meet one of them. I've heard lots of stories about them from my friends who are still in the Academy. Well, I better get going."

"Yeah, later," Akemi said.

She saw that Mayuri was approaching her and she stood at attention. She hoped that he didn't have too many questions for her. Protocol required that any Soul Reaper who found something unusual remain at the scene until the investigative team arrived and they filled out the proper paperwork and were dismissed by the team's highest ranking officer.

"Ah, you're still here," Mayuri said.

"Yes sir, do you have any questions for me?"

"Not really…after all, you are a simpleton. Why would I even bother asking a simpleton for further details when I can just get them myself? I only need you to sign the forms and that's it. God, you're such an idiot."

Akemi did her best not to let her rage show. She was forced to stand around for hours, waiting for Mayuri and his gang of nerds to get through with their little research and he only needed her to fill out forms. Hell, he could have just given her the forms at the beginning and she could have been making her rounds. She really hated Mayuri and wondered how anyone in his squad could stand him. She also wondered why none of them have stood-up to him by now. Then she remembered that he always put explosives in the new recruits and he could destroy them on a whim.

"Of course, Captain Kurotsuchi," she said, signing the forms. She made sure that the words _"you fucking bastard"_ did not slip out.

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

Starrk walked down the hall towards the practice yard. Today the former Espada had exams with Yoruichi Shihoin and Sui-Feng to test them on their hand-to-hand combat skills. He yawned slightly, and realized that he should have taken a nap. That way he would at least be somewhat refreshed before having to spar with two of the best fighters in the Soul Society.

"Hey Starrk," someone cried out.

He turned and saw one of the older students rushing towards him. Starrk smiled and waved.

"Hey, Daisuke," Starrk said. "How are things?"

"Oh…they're going great. Hey, a bunch of us are going to the bar tonight. You wanna come?"

"Sure, what's the celebration?"

"Oh, Arata and Shizuka are being sent to the World of the Living for their internship."

"Really, that's great. Of course I'll come. I'll see if Captain Kyoraku and some of the others would like to come as well."

"Really, you'd ask Captain Kyoraku to come and hang out with us students?"

"Sure," Starrk said, shrugging. "Shunsui's not one to pass up a party."

"Wow, you actually call Captain Kyoraku by his first name?"

"Well, sure," Starrk said, seeing the awe in Daisuke's round face. "I wouldn't advise calling the more serious Captains by their first name, though. Some of them get pretty touchy about it."

Daisuke laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Great, I'll tell the others that you'll make it. It's tonight, starting at sunset at the Cherry Orchard."

"Thanks, Daisuke, well I better get going. I don't want to keep Yoruichi or Captain Sui-Feng waiting."

"Can't say that I blame ya," Daisuke said, laughing.

When Starrk arrived to the practice yard he saw Ulquiorra, Harribel, and Lilynette sitting under a tree. Yoruichi and Sui-Feng were just arriving, but there was no sign of Grimmjow and Nnoitora. He saw the bleachers filling up with students and instructors who wanted to observe the Espada and was not surprised to see Kyoraku and Ukitake. However, he was surprised to see Yamamoto sitting beneath a cherry tree away from the others.

"Well, look who finally arrived," Yoruichi said, grinning at Starrk.

"Oh, good morning, Lady Yoruichi," Starrk said.

"Come on, you can drop the formalities," Yoruichi said, laughing.

"I'm sorry…uh…Yoruichi."

"Much better," Yoruichi said. "Now, get with the others."

"Uh…where are Grimmjow and Nnoitora?"

"Oh…they should be here. Sui-Feng, make sure that they're actually practicing."

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi," Sui-Feng said and vanished.

"Wait, let me guess," Starrk said. "You're having them practice their Hoho because of what happened yesterday."

"Oh yes," Yoruichi said, smiling. "You and Ulquiorra were the only ones who passed. Nnoitora failed by default and Grimmjow failed because he got caught. I had to find some way to get you guys to demonstrate your Hoho. I just felt that the best way to see how well you could do against an enemy is to have you face a bunch of rabid fan-girls."

"Did you set the whole thing up?"

"Oh…I only watched you guys. However, I didn't have to encourage those ladies. They just did what came naturally."

"Oh," Starrk said.

He looked and saw Nnoitora and Grimmjow suddenly appear and then run towards where the other three were waiting. Sui-Feng was chasing them, looking delighted at the torture she was putting them through. Starrk was glad that he didn't need extra practice. He heard the crowd laughing and Yoruichi was also laughing at the sight of Nnoitora and Grimmjow stumbling over each other to get away from Sui-Feng. Starrk only shrugged and made his way to where Harribel, Lilynette, and Ulquiorra were sitting. He was surprised to see that Ulquiorra was laughing as well. Would wonders never cease?

_**Karakura Town**_

"Milton, it's happening," Sylvia cried out.

He dropped the copy of Clive Barker's _The Thief of Always _that he was reading and rushed to the couch. He saw that Harper's spirit body was bucking and tendrils of a misty material were beginning to rise. Howard was leaning over the computer and then he pushed the ENTER button. At once, a soft luminescent glow surrounded the girl's spirit body and the Gigai.

"The Net is up," he said.

"Good," Milton said.

Sylvia was running her hands through her shoulder-length black hair, as she usually did when she became nervous. Milton watched as the tendrils of mist that were seeping from her fading spirit body tried to escape from the Net, but were unable to find a way out. Eventually the girl's spirit body was gone and there was only the mist floating around inside the cut off area.

"How long?" Milton asked.

"About 3 minutes," Howard said.

"Come on…come on," Milton whispered.

Then the tendrils of mist began to rejoin each other. Milton's eyes widened when he saw that none of the mist thought about entering the Gigai where it would be easier to reform their original shape. Milton looked over Howard's shoulder and smiled.

"Milton, what is it?" Sylvia asked.

"She's another like us. Her spirit particles are rejoining themselves naturally."

"Does that mean she might also have acquired Risveglio?" Howard asked.

"Yes, I believe so. It would be interesting to see what it is."

"That would bring our number to eight," Sylvia said.

"Yes, but for now, just look at how beautiful it is," Milton said, gesturing to the swirling mist coming together to reform Harper's spirit body. "It's like looking into the Heart of Mist."

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

"Now then," Yoruichi said. "I understand that you're all extremely proficient at swordsmanship. However, what if you don't have your sword with you?"

"That ain't gonna happen," Nnoitora said.

"Oh…don't be too sure. Where's your sword now?"

"Right here," Nnoitora said, but when he reached for his Zanpakuto that he always kept ready at his waist, he found that it was gone, sheath and all. "What the… Hey, where's my sword you fucking bitch?"

"Right here," Yoruichi said, holding up his Zanpakuto.

"Give it here," Nnoitora said, getting up. "Or I'll make ya, ya fucking cunt."

"Don't worry, you'll get your sword back…if you can beat me in hand-to-hand combat."

"Lady Yoruichi, that should be my duty," Sui-Feng said.

"Nah, I kinda want to see what they got," Yoruichi said. "Lilynette, you're exempt from this since you already practiced hand-to-hand combat with us earlier. However, you may watch if you wish. Now, I want the rest of you to hand over your Zanpakuto. If you can defeat me, then you will get them back. However, if I beat you, then you'll only get them back after you've practiced hand-to-hand combat with me and Sui-Feng for two hours. "

"Ha, that's easy," Grimmjow said, getting up. He pulled his Zanpakuto, Pantera, from his sash and pushed it into Sui-Feng's arms. "So long as I go first and show these pansies how it's done."

"Very good, Grimmjow, you get to go first. Then…Nnoitora will be next."

"Hey, why can't I go first?" Nnoitora asked. "You took my Santa Teresa first, so I should go first."

"You didn't offer to go first, though. Grimmjow did, but you can go second."

"No way, I don't want his sloppy seconds."

Harribel slapped her face and Sui-Feng looked ready to kill Nnoitora. As was becoming custom for him, Ulquiorra muttered something along the lines of "Trash" or "How vulgar" under his breath. Starrk rolled his eyes and yawned. Lilynette and Yoruichi only laughed.

"I don't think you'll have to worry," Yoruichi said. "I'm pretty sure I can take both of you out before you can come."

Sui-Feng looked shocked that her Lady Yoruichi could be as bold and vulgar as Nnoitora. However, if Kisuke Urahara was there, he would have been rolling on the ground, laughing. He knew just how vulgar Yoruichi could get when it came to witty comebacks. Nnoitora gave his iconic lecherous grin, revealing all of his piano teeth.

"Holy shit," Yoruichi said, laughing. "Did you try to swallow a grand piano?"

"Oh…you are…so dead," Nnoitora said, his grin widening even more.

"I doubt that. Come on, Grimmjow, let's get started. We wouldn't want to disappoint our audience," she said and gestured to the large crowd that had gathered.

"Shit, there's more of 'em than there were when we were doing Kido," Grimmjow muttered.

"Alright, let's get started," Yoruichi said.

She immediately launched herself at Grimmjow. Grimmjow's eyes widened and he was quick enough to duck under her foot. Yoruichi smirked and grabbed hold of his kosode and pulled. Grimmjow felt the pull and then he found himself on the ground.

"He shouldn't have ducked," Ulquiorra said.

"FUCK!" Grimmjow screamed. "That wasn't fair. You attacked me before I was even ready."

"Do you think that your opponent will always be considerate to give you warning?"

Grimmjow muttered something under his breath as he got up. He returned to where the others were sitting, sulking. Starrk knew that Grimmjow was disappointed to losing, but Ulquiorra was right. Grimmjow shouldn't have ducked. He saw that Ulquiorra and Harribel were also looking at Yoruichi, trying to assess her.

"Starrk," Lilynette whispered.

"What is it?"

"You know that she can't really be assessed," Lilynette said. "She can change her movements at any given moment."

Starrk nodded. He already had an idea that the purpose of this exercise was to teach them something about facing an enemy. He understood that the first lesson was: always be prepared for an attack. He suspected that Grimmjow's reaction was exactly what Yoruichi expected and so took full advantage of it. That would mean that lesson two was: try to do what your opponent doesn't expect you too.

"Lilynette, tell Ulquiorra and Harribel this," Starrk whispered and Lilynette nodded.

"Ha, I always knew that Grimm-Kitty was always too polite," Nnoitora cried out, laughing. He got up and made his way towards Yoruichi. "You won't have that same problem with me, bitch. My sword's as good as back in my hands."

"Do you really think so?" Yoruichi asked.

"Fuck yeah," Nnoitora said, grinning.

"Alright then let's…"

Before she finished, Nnoitora rushed her. Yoruichi only shook her head and stepped to the side before Nnoitora could lay a hand on her. Nnoitora turned and kicked out, however Yoruichi caught his foot and flipped Nnoitora over onto his back. Nnoitora wasn't finished though, he lashed out with his other foot, but Yoruichi only dodged that and yanked him forward with the foot she held. Nnoitora screamed in fury and brought out his hand to grab Yoruichi.

"Nice try," Yoruichi said, and let go of Nnoitora's leg and stepped to the side.

When Nnoitora was perpendicular to her, she brought out her foot and stepped on him, mid torso. The force brought him to the ground and made him loose his breath. Nnoitora looked furious and grabbed her ankle to try to flip her. However, Yoruichi only crouched down and struck him in the face with the palm of her hand. Nnoitora's grip loosened.

"You were impatient. Just because you attacked first doesn't mean you'll achieve victory. Fighting isn't attacking your opponents like a wild beast, without reason or plan. There's an art behind it. You lost, Nnoitora. Now then, get up and return to your fellow students."

Nnoitora glared at her. He couldn't help but think that she and Nel had so much in common. Now that included pissing him off. He muttered as he made his way to the others and Ulquiorra stood up. Ulquiorra also brought out his Zanpakuto, Murciélago. He held it out with both hands to Sui-Feng and bowed. Sui-Feng returned the bow as she took the sheathed sword. He looked at Yoruichi, his emerald green eyes meeting her golden eyes.

"I heard much about you, Ulquiorra," she said, smiling. "Now then, shall we begin?"

"Of course," he said, closing his eyes.

Yoruichi leapt at him and Ulquiorra side-stepped to the left. Yoruichi flew past him and landed on the ground. She turned and rushed at him. Ulquiorra turned and struck at her with his right hand. She reached out to grab it, but Ulquiorra brought up his left hand and grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened in surprise as Ulquiorra turned to strike her in the torso with his right hand. She leapt up and used her other hand to support herself on Ulquiorra's left wrist.

The audience gasped in surprise as Ulquiorra's right hand passed underneath her while Yoruichi grabbed his left wrist as she flipped over his head. As she turned overhead, Ulquiorra was being dragged slightly, but with a quick motion of his wrist, he got free from her grip. Yoruichi landed on the ground and grinned at Ulquiorra, whose back was turned to her. She rushed at him.

Ulquiorra sensed her coming and flash-stepped to the left. Yoruichi immediately understood what he was doing and flash-stepped to the right. Ulquiorra appeared there and his eyes widened in surprise as Yoruichi's hand clamped over his face and brought him crashing down.

"You over-thought it," she said. "For anyone other than me, those moves you did would have probably worked. Unfortunately, Kisuke had a habit of using those techniques when we practiced. Fighting is not just about planning and strategy. It's also about following your instincts. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Sensei. Thank you for your instruction."

"You're welcome, Ulquiorra. You may rejoin your comrades," she said.

The audience applauded Ulquiorra. Starrk noticed that another man had joined to watch. He didn't recognize him, but his face was as expressionless as Ulquiorra's usually was. Kyoraku and Ukitake were talking with some of the students. Then Harribel got up. She went to Sui-Feng and surrendered her Zanpakuto, Tiburón, in the same manner that Ulquiorra did. Starrk watched her, wondering what Yoruichi would do. He noticed that Yoruichi was increasing her attack as she progressed and was even incorporating Hoho into it.

"BITCH FIGHT!" Nnoitora yelled. "C'mon how about ya do us all a favor and strip before ya fight."

"Yeah, bring out the mud, too," Grimmjow called out.

There were plenty of cheers and applauds and laughter from the crowd at that. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and shook his head. Starrk only watched as Harribel and Yoruichi were getting into position. Yoruichi launched herself at Harribel who dodged easily. However, she had a counter attack ready and when Yoruichi was perpendicular to her she brought her foot up and kicked Yoruichi in the stomach.

Everyone thought that Harribel might have actually beaten Yoruichi. However, Starrk's sharp eyes caught something that none of the others saw. As Harribel was bringing her foot up, Yoruichi had brought her hands over her stomach and pushed down on Harribel's foot and pretended to double, over, but was actually preparing an attack of her own. Harribel must have realized what happened because she ducked to the right as Yoruichi's foot flew at her shoulder.

Yoruichi must have thought that she had the best of her opponent because she brought her right leg down in an attempt to make Harribel lose her balance. However, Harribel was prepared for it. She threw her upper body into Yoruichi's side. She then proceeded to wrap her arms around Yoruichi, but then something happened. To everyone's amazement, there were two Yoruichis. One was being tackled by Harribel while the other was leaping at Harribel with her leg out and foot straight.

However, Harribel kept her cool. She quickly released the other Yoruichi who vanished and grabbed Yoruichi's outstretched foot and lifted up. As Yoruichi lost her momentum, Harribel brought her other hand and struck her in the lower back with her palm. Harribel then released her grip on Yoruichi and leapt back, never taking her eyes off her opponent. When Yoruichi landed she got up and laughed.

"Wow, I didn't think that anyone could beat my Utsusemi," Yoruichi said. "Man, I was hoping that I would beat all of you."

"It's not your fault. I sparred with someone who could do something like that when I first joined the Espada."

"Oh, who was it?"

"It doesn't really matter. He's not even here to show it off. He called it 'Gemelos Sonído'."

"I see," Yoruichi said. "Well, congratulations, you may retrieve your Zanpakuto and return to your comrades."

"Thank you, Sensei," Harribel said and bowed. "It was an honor sparring with you."

"The honor was mine as well. Now then, that just leaves us with…"

"I guess," Starrk said as he got up. He brought out his Zanpakuto, Los Lobos, and gave it to Sui-Feng, in the same manner as Ulquiorra and Harribel.

"From what I heard, you used to be the Primera Espada, right? Well, it should be interesting to see what the Primera can do," Yoruichi said.

_**Karakura High School**_

Rukia took her usual seat and saw that Ichigo was staring out the window, again. She sighed and saw that Orihime was laughing with Tatsuki at the back of the class. Chad and Uryu were being quiet, as always. She reached into her bag and brought out her textbooks.

"Whoa, who's the hottie?" Keigo asked.

"I think she's the new girl," his friend, Mizuiro, said.

"Alright, class, please settle down," their teacher, Miss Ochi, said. "Alright, we have a new student joining us, today. Everyone, please welcome Sachiko Amaterasu."

Rukia looked up. Her eyes widened at the girl standing at the front of their class. Her blackish blue hair hung to her shoulders. Her green eyes were wide with excitement. The uniform fit her well-enough to display her soft curves at the hips and bust. She gave a slight bow.

"I hope we can all get along, together," she said, smiling.

"Thank you, Miss Amaterasu. You may sit down at the open desk next to Miss Kuchiki…the girl over there," Miss Ochi said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Sachiko said and made her way to Rukia's desk.

"Hello, I'm Sachiko Amaterasu, but please call me Sachiko."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Rukia Kuchiki, but please call me Rukia."

"Whew, it was harder than I thought in pretending not to know ya," Sachiko whispered as Miss Ochi began her lecture.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh…I was sent here because my sister, Akemi's here too."

"That's right, how is she by the way?"

"Well, the last time I saw her…she was bored."

"Really, why?"

"Oh, it's because of something she found last night."

"Really, what was it?"

"Well..."

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

Starrk didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Yoruichi's stance. From seeing the others spar with her, he was able to deduce that when she was about to strike, she would always put more weight on her left foot and lash out with her right. He saw that she was doing that even now. As Yoruichi rushed him, Starrk sighed and moved to his left. When Yoruichi was passing him, he tagged her.

"Tag…you're it," he said.

When Yoruichi came to a stop, she looked at Starrk and smiled. She remembered that Kisuke would do that to her when they practiced. She found it funny that not only did Starrk remind her of Captain Kyoraku, but also a little bit of Kisuke. Even though, he hardly ever showed that side of him, Starrk did have a sense of humor. Lilynette and Harribel chuckled.

"You know, you could have ended it right then and there," Yoruichi said.

"I know, but…I wouldn't like to disappoint the audience."

"You may regret it," Yoruichi said and rushed at him again.

Starrk only side-stepped, but Yoruichi lashed out with her hand to grab his uniform. Starrk's eyes widened and he leapt back, barely avoiding being grabbed. However, as Lilynette pointed out, she could change her trajectory at a moment's notice. Now, instead of her hand coming at him, her foot was barreling towards him.

_Damn it, I knew I should have ended it at the very beginning,_ Starrk thought as he leapt to the right. _Why did I have to show off like that? That's not like me._

_No, but it's like me,_ another voice said. Starrk widened in surprise, he never heard this voice before. The voice laughed, and the laughter sounded like the tinkling of silver bells. _Oh don't sound so surprised, it's just me._

_Lilynette, is that you? You know I'm…_

_No, I'm not Lilynette, though she used to be part of me._

_Are you what we used to be?_

_No._

_Are you Los Lobos?_

_Bingo. _

_Why are you here? I'm not meditating or anything._

_Silly, I'm here to help you reach your full potential. The others are trying to help their partners, but weren't able to since none of them are exactly listening. Oh…you better pay attention._

Starrk looked up and saw Yoruichi back flipping towards him in a blur of motion. Starrk moved out of the way and was about to reach out to grab her.

_Don't do that._

_Why not?_

_She's expecting you to do that, as you very well know. Now, do you want my help or not?_

_Well…I could use all the help I can get._

_Good, now then, how about we try that "Utsusemi" move she did. That kinda looks like fun._

_But, I only saw it once._

_So, replay it in your mind's eye. You'll understand it if you do that. Remember how you figured out Ukitake's Shikai? _

_Yeah, but…I had to practice it on him two more times before I got it._

_Nope, you got it after only the first actual try. You just did that second try to see if you were right. Now, replay it in your mind's eye. But make it fast, she's coming at you._

Starrk leapt in the air as Yoruichi passed below him. She looked up in surprise. Clearly, she had tried to flash-step towards him using… Then he noticed the Yoruichi in the air barreling at him. She had used Utsusemi on him. He imagined her doing the same to Harribel and that was when he saw it. He saw how it could be done.

Yoruichi was surprised that Starrk fell for it. As the after-image was rushing towards him, he leapt into the air, which was what she wanted. She smiled as her foot made contact with the Starrk in front of her. Then the Starrk in front of her vanished.

"Sorry to have to do this," Starrk said from behind her.

Yoruichi's eyes widened as Starrk's hands pushed down on her shoulders. Yoruichi felt herself spinning out of control and crash to the ground. Starrk allowed himself to drift the ground and when he was standing before her, knelt and offered her his hand.

"Are you alright, Sensei?" Starrk asked.

"How…how did you…? No one…no one's ever beaten me like that before. How did you…?"

"'Do the unexpected.' Isn't that what you told us to do?"

"Huh…I guess I did. I certainly wasn't expecting that," Yoruichi said and took Starrk's hand.

"LADY YORUICHI!" Sui-Feng cried out, rushing towards them.

"It's alright, Sui-Feng. I'm fine. Now, return Starrk's Zanpakuto. He won fair and square."

"Y-yes, Lady Yoruichi," Sui Feng said.

Starrk took his sword from Sui-Feng and bowed to her and then to Yoruichi. Yoruichi smiled and bowed in return. He turned and saw the stern-faced Captain standing in front of him. The Captain looked at Starrk and then turned to Yoruichi.

"Hey, Byakuya," Yoruichi said. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Yoruichi, I see that you're as disrespectful to me as ever."

"Aw, don't be like that. Just because you may have been made a Captain doesn't mean that you have a chance at beating me in a game of Chase the Devil."

"Well…at least I've never been beaten by an opponent who used a technique I came up with," Byakuya said, smirking slightly.

"That may be true, but…" Yoruichi suddenly thought about how quickly Starrk mastered it. "Hmm, not even you mastered that maneuver so quickly, Byakuya. I wonder. Well, never mind. Alright, let's see. Grimmjow, Nnoitora, and Ulquiorra, you get to spend two extra hours with me and Sui-Feng. Harribel, Lilynette, and Starrk, you are excused. Enjoy your time off."

"Uh…Yoruichi," Harribel said. "We were discussing it and we decided if we may be allowed stay and practice with our comrades."

"Of course you may. It would be my pleasure and honor," Yoruichi said with a smile.

Starrk saw Kyoraku and Ukitake preparing to depart, but they stopped to talk with the Captain-Commander. He suddenly remembered that he promised Daisuke to ask them if they could come to the celebratory party that evening. He rushed towards them. Ukitake noticed Starrk and waved while nudging Kyoraku.

"Well…that was an impressive display," Kyoraku said. "I never thought that anyone could ever beat the Goddess of Flash, but two…and with her own technique…" he chuckled.

"It was really nothing," Starrk said. "I only took a slow step right as I began Flash Step, but the timing was rather tricky."

"So that's how it's done," Kyoraku muttered.

"Yeah, but you have to time it perfectly, otherwise you lose all control of movement. I just got lucky. Anyways, I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot," Kyoraku said, "…just not in the back."

Starrk chuckled.

"Well, you see, my friend, Daisuke is getting some of the other students together at the Cherry Orchard to celebrate Arata and Shizuka for getting the internship. They wanted to celebrate before they were shipped off in the morning. I told them that I would ask if you would be able to come."

"Hell yeah, I'll come," Kyoraku said, grinning. "You know I never miss a party."

"That's true. Even if there are three parties occurring that the same time, he always tries to make it to each one."

"He's right. You should come too, Ukitake."

"Well I…"

"HEY, YORUICHI!" Kyoraku called out. "PARTY TONIGHT AT THE CHERRY ORCHARD!"

"OH, I'M SO THERE," Yoruichi called back.

"HEY, YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' ME OUT OF ANY PARTY!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Aw, is Kitty upset that he didn't get invited?" Nnoitora sneered.

"Hell, you weren't invited either."

"So, I'll just crash the fuckin' party."

Starrk suddenly had a bad feeling. He felt Harribel's hand on his shoulder. He put his own hand over hers and squeezed.

"That was sweet of you," Harribel said, smiling.

"Thanks, but it's the least I can do. Daisuke was one of the first to warm up to us when we started classes."

"Also, he's becoming a friend to you. A lot of the other students are warming up to us."

"Yeah, but…it will be interesting to see how the other Soul Reapers react to us joining them."

_**Shinigami Research and Development Institute (Squad 12 Barracks)**_

"NEMU, bring those samples," Mayuri Kurotsuchi ordered.

"Yes, Master Mayuri," Nemu replied, bringing one of the crates filled with the Hollow's remains over.

"Very good, Nemu," Mayuri said. "Now, where did I put that sample of that unusual Reiatsu?"

"Right here, Master Mayuri," Nemu said, holding up a jar filled with a glowing amber fluid.

"INSOLENT GIRL!" Mayuri screamed and smacked Nemu across the face. "How dare you handle such a valuable sample without telling me first? If anyone is going to handle the valuable samples, it's me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Mayuri," Nemu said and held the sample, which Mayuri took with a grunt.

"Honestly, sometimes you're more trouble than you're worth. Oh well, no matter. Now then, let's see what we've got."

Mayuri opened the jar's lid and poured some of the fluid into a funnel that led to one of the many pieces of equipment in the lab. He watched as the machine processed the fluid and read the Reiatsu contained. The computer screens showed him the information as it became available. As Mayuri looked at the information, he began to grin.

"Well…looks like I may have something new to experiment on."

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Rukia stared at the ceiling of Ichigo's closet. She was lying on the mattress where she slept whenever she was in the World of the Living. She thought about what Sachiko told her about the remains of the Hollow her sister found. She wasn't sure just what to make of it. Usually, when a Hollow was killed in the World of the Living, it would immediately be purified or sent to Hell, but it would never leave a corpse behind.

"Hey Rukia, would you like something to eat?" Ichigo asked, knocking on the closet door.

"Yeah…hold on," Rukia said and opened the closet door.

Ichigo was putting a plate of rice and curry on the small table in his room. He took his own plate with him to the desk. He took one look at her face and became concerned.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"Nah," Rukia said. "It's just that…you remember the new student in class?"

"You mean the one who feels like a Soul Reaper? What about her?"

"Well, you see, she's in Squad 13 with me and her sister. Anyways, her sister found the remains of a Hollow in an alley last night."

"I thought you said that's impossible," Ichigo said as he took a bit of curry.

"Well…I thought so too. But, the thing is the corpse appeared to have been partially devoured."

"Do you think it was another Hollow?"

"That's the thing. When Hollows invade the World of the Living or the Soul Society, they never go after each other. Also, she mentioned that the bite marks appeared to have been made by a…a human spirit."

"Are you serious? You're not really suggesting that a human spirit has somehow gotten a taste for Hollow meat. The way you told it to me: Hollows devour humans, not the other way around."

"Well…that's probably why Captain Kurotsuchi was in Karakura Town earlier. She said that they were collecting samples for research."

"Jeez, I thought I saw Captain Freakshow earlier. So that would explain it. Hey, Rukia, have you ever heard of anything like this going on before?"

"No, maybe one of the older Captains like Kyoraku or Unohana or Ukitake has."

"Maybe Urahara," Ichigo suggested.

"Well…I suppose that Kisuke might have an idea of what's going on. I'll go over tomorrow and ask him."

_**Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Office**_

The Captain-Commander sat at his office, looking over his files on the former Espada and then looking at the notes that their instructors had given him. Grimmjow and Nnoitora had slightly improved since their first practical sessions in both Kido and Hoho, but they still excelled in swordsmanship. Despite their abysmal performances at hand-to-hand combat against Yoruichi, they were still above and beyond any of the regular students. Of course, they were staying with Squad 11, so it was only natural that they would excel in melee experience.

Then there were Ulquiorra, Harribel, Lilynette, and Starrk. Those four had even surpassed their instructors in many of the practical courses. Of course, none of the instructors were on the same level as Yamamoto, but it was still nothing to take lightly. After he watched their Kido practice, Yamamoto became very interested to see what those four were capable of. Now, after seeing how they were able to keep their own against Yoruichi Shihoin, he became even more interested.

"What do you think about these four?" Yamamoto asked and passed the four files over to Yoruichi who was sitting across from him.

Yoruichi looked at the files and smiled.

"They all show tremendous potential," she said. "I was actually astonished that Lilynette could actually keep up with me during our practices. Ulquiorra shows tremendous potential and I would even consider him a natural at Kido, Hoho, and combat skills. However, he needs to loosen up and stop over-thinking things. If he could do that, he could possibly rival Captains Kuchiki and Hitsugaya in overall skill and potential. Harribel has demonstrated tremendous skill in both Kido and Hoho. However, she sometimes has the tendency of rushing into things, but she is still as much a natural as Ulquiorra. Overall, she has the makings of being a great seated officer at the very least, with the possibility of a Captain's position. Starrk…"

"Go on. What are your thoughts on Starrk?"

"He has proven himself to be extremely and naturally skilled and adaptable on all levels. Unlike Ulquiorra, he doesn't over-think things. Instead, he can see a maneuver only once and be able to recreate it exactly or even find ways of improving it, like he did with my Utsusemi. He could belong to any number of Squads and excel in them. Likewise, he would make an excellent seated officer or a Captain. However, his major problem is that he always feels as though he has to hold back. However, considering what Kyoraku told us about him…"

"…it's only natural," Yamamoto finished, nodding.

"So, why are you interested in them?"

"It's because something like this has never happened before. Also, it seems that the former Arrancar have somehow retained some of their Hollow abilities."

_**Karakura Town**_

Harper felt ill and she ached all over. She tried to move, but couldn't.

"Are you awake?" someone asked.

She recognized the voice. It was the man from that night. The night where she was chased by that creature and something…snapped. The next thing she remembered, she was standing over the creature's corpse, covered in blood. Then he came. The man who took her in and took care of her, and she didn't know his name or even what he looked like. She opened her eyes.

She saw a man with long golden-brown hair and a neatly trimmed reddish-brown goatee. His blue eyes looked at her, filled with concern. He was wearing the same clothes he wore that night. She tried to reach up, but she still couldn't move. He only smiled down at her.

"A Gigai takes time to get used to," he said.

She didn't know the term "Gigai", and tried to ask him what he meant.

"Don't worry. I'll explain it when you regain your strength. But for now, just rest. I'm sure that you're still tired from your ordeal. I can get Sylvia or Shirley to get you something to eat, but in the mean time, just rest."

When he saw that she fell asleep, Milton stood up and walked to the computer. He checked the system that monitored the Gigai's performance ability and saw that her Soul was still getting used to its new body. However, he was surprised that it only took less than three hours since her Spirit Body reformed and was placed into the Gigai for her to wake up.

"How is she?" Sylvia asked.

"She's doing fine now. She just woke up and was able to move her eyelids, but nothing else. However, she's through the worst of it. Right now, she just needs to get used to her Gigai."

"Do you know what her Risveglio is yet?"

"Not yet, she's not strong enough for that yet. However, I think she will be strong enough soon. Have the others returned from their outings?"

"Howard and Emily just got back, but so far no one else has returned."

"I see. I hope they don't get in too much trouble. The last thing we need is for the wrong kind of attention."

_**The Cherry Orchard**_

The sounds of the other students drifted out of the large tavern as Starrk and Harribel approached. Even though it was slightly after sunset, they could tell that some of the students celebrating were already drunk. They could hear Kyoraku's voice rising above them, obviously leading them in some of his favorite drinking songs.

"God, they're already drunk?" Harribel asked.

"I suppose," Starrk said shrugging.

He opened the door for Harribel, who smiled before walking in with Starrk close behind. They saw that the other students were busy drinking while Kyoraku and Yoruichi were on the stage. Ukitake was sitting in one of the booths, drinking tea and shaking his head. To their surprise, they also saw some of the other Soul Reapers there as well. Matsumoto was at one of the booths playing a drinking game with Apacci and Mila Rose while Sung-Sun only watched, shaking her head. Renji, easily recognizable with his tattoos and his red hair styled to make him look like some kind of red pineapple, was sitting with Byakuya, who looked as though he was wondering how he even got there.

"Hey, glad you could make it," Daisuke said, and shoved a couple of sake bottles into their hands.

"I see that there was quite a turn-out," Starrk said.

"I'll say. As soon as Kyoraku announced that there would be a party here, many of the actual Soul Reapers came."

"Uh…how come Captain Kuchiki's here?" Starrk asked.

"Oh…we don't really know. Come to think of it, I don't think he knows himself," Daisuke said.

"Hmm, maybe Yoruichi had something to do with it," Harribel said. "She told me that she was always pestering him in trying to get him to attend one of these things."

"Let me guess, Renji just tagged along because Captain Kuchiki was being forced here?" Starrk asked.

"I guess," Daisuke said, shrugging.

"So, where are the guests of honor?" Starrk asked.

"Oh, Arata and Shizuka are over there," Daisuke said and pointed to one of the booths.

A boy and girl were dressed in the usual Soul Reaper uniform, except that they were light blue arm bands to show that they would be interning in the World of the Living. The boy was tall and very well-muscled and gave off an air of confidence and talked with some of the surrounding students. The girl was rather small and shy, her eyes downcast.

"Hey, Starrk," Ukitake said, noticing them.

"Hey, Ukitake, it's nice to see that you could make it," Starrk said, smiling.

"Well, someone's got to take care of Shunsui. He's going to need help getting back to his barracks."

"Hey, I can help out. So long as I don't drink too much," Starrk said.

"If he does, then I could easily help with both of 'em," Harribel said.

"Well, I'll let you get to it," Ukitake said, chuckling. "And I'll take you up on that offer."

As Starrk and Harribel were starting to enjoy themselves, there came a loud disturbance from outside. The two turned to the entrance, knowing who was making the commotion outside. Harribel rolled her eyes.

"Hey, no one starts a party without us!" Grimmjow shouted as he and Nnoitora walked in.

"No shit, Grimm-Kitty," Nnoitora said.

"Now, now, there's no need to argue. Just have some fun and enjoy yourselves," Yoruichi said from the stage.

"Yeah…and…and…drin' sam Sake," Kyoraku said, raising a bottle of Sake to them.

"FUCK YEAH!" the two cried out and grabbed some bottles of Sake from the counter.

Harribel and Starrk looked at each other and laughed. They took their own drinks and joined the fun.

_**Karakura Town**_

Akiye raced through the streets of Karakura Town. She served ten years in Squad 12 and showed that she could handle the missions that Captain Kurotsuchi sent her on. As a result, she was one of twenty Soul Reapers whom he sent out into Karakura Town to find traces of the strange Reiatsu left on the Hollow's corpse.

She checked her soul pager to make sure that she was still on the right track. She tried calling some of the other team members, but none of them were responding. It was strange. She didn't see any Souls or Hollows around. However, she also felt the spiritual atmosphere was a bit thicker than usual. Something was going on.

"Excuse me, but are you looking for something?" someone asked.

She stopped and saw a young man looking up at her. He was thin with wavy blonde hair that reached the nape of his neck. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants with a loose-fitting light blue shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned. A black jacket was slung over his shoulder with his finger serving as a hook.

"You…you can see me?"

"Of course I can see you," he said, smiling. "Now, put that sword away. There's no need for it."

"Who are you? There are very few people in Karakura Town who can see us."

"Oh, where are my manners? You're right. I should have introduced myself first. I apologize. My name is William Marlowe. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"My name is of no concern to you. Now then…"

She stopped when she sensed his Reiatsu. It was very similar to the one that was discovered on the Hollow's corpse, but it wasn't the same. William looked up at her and sighed. He suddenly leaped up to where she was. Her eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her.

"So, you found the body," he said. "Milton was afraid that might be the case."

"Who's Milton?"

"He's someone whom you will never meet, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that you haven't told me your name. Of course there are other ways of finding that sort of thing out."

Akiye became afraid. She tried to move away from him, but something was keeping her in place. Then she felt the cold coming from her feet and she looked down. Her eyes widened in surprise seeing that her feet were held in place by ice. She looked up, wondering if this young man was responsible. However, he was leaning towards her as if to kiss her. She then felt his lips on hers and the whole world swam before her and then became dark.

William Marlowe wiped his mouth when he was done. He looked down at the empty husk that used to be Akiye.

"So, is that all of them?" someone asked.

William turned and saw a woman wearing a pair of jeans that were tucked into a pair of motorcycle boots and a loose-fighting grey shirt under a black vest. She wore a choke collar with a silver medallion hanging from a thin chain around her neck. Her black hair was closely cropped on one side while the other hung over the left side of her face, hiding her eye and ear.

"Oh, Charlotte, I take it that you took care of some of the others."

"I did. Robert and Ambrose are dealing with the others. So, what did her memories show?"

"They are here because of the corpse, just as Milton feared."

"It was only a matter of time. Milton needs to hear of this as soon as possible."

"Yes, he does. You know…" William said looking at the Akiye's remains. "It's such a pity that it turned out this way."

"Yeah, but it can't be helped. We do what we have to in order to survive. We can't allow the Soul Society to know of our existence. If they find out…"

"Yeah, I know. But still, it is a pity. If only there was some other way."

"I know, but we need to feed somehow. Milton told us not to feed on any of the un-evolved souls. That just leaves Hollows and…"

"…and Soul Reapers," William said, smiling. "After all, as Milton would say, we are only fulfilling our raison d'être."

**End of Chapter 2**

**Shinigami Cup:**

**"Hey, I just noticed something," Starrk said looking around the Cherry Orchard.**

**"What's that?" Harribel asked.**

**"Where's Ulquiorra?"**

**"Oh," Byakuya said. "He's passed out behind the bar."**

**"Are you serious?" Starrk asked and looked over the bar's counter.**

**Sure enough, Ulquiorra is curled on the floor behind the counter. He's clutching an empty Sake bottle, and mumbling something about bunnies and rainbows and unicorns and Orihime.**

**"Uh...how many drinks did he have?" Starrk asked.**

**"He only took one sip of Sake and then he was out," Byakuya said.**

**"Jeez, I didn't know he was such a lightweight," Starrk said.**

**A.N.: First time I wrote a Shinigami Cup. When I was writing the Cherry Orchard scene I just got a random picture in my head of Ulquiorra curled up on the floor behind the counter. I thought it would make a really good Shinigami Cup, so I just wrote the exchange around it. As for why Byakuya is even there, let's just say that Yoruichi was involved and leave it at that. Anyways, that's it for now. I should have the next chapter up in about a week or so. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome to the Gotei

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 3: Welcome to the Gotei**

_New life_

_New friends_

_New hopes_

_We welcome such things_

_Into our own lives_

"So, we can use the hilts of our swords to help Souls pass on, that's a relief," Starrk said as he examined the seal on the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

"Yeah…if you're a fucking pussy," Nnoitora said, laughing.

"No shit, that Soul Reaper Basics class was a complete snooze fest," Grimmjow said. "When it's time for us to take that practical exam, I hope there are some fuckin' Hollows around to fight."

"Is all you ever think about fighting?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Damn right, because real men only use their swords for cutting each other up."

"It is obvious that you and Grimmjow belong to the Trash Squad," Ulquiorra said.

"Hey, Squad 11 isn't fuckin' trash," Grimmjow growled. "They're the best fuckin' squad in the Gotei!"

"I should have known," Ulquiorra said, closing his eyes. "Trash attracts trash."

"Oh go to your fucking Emo Corner and kiss up to your boyfriend," Grimmjow said.

"Anyways, what do we have next?" Starrk asked, trying to change the subject.

"We have another Kido practice and then…" Harribel began, but was cut short.

A black butterfly flew towards them. They only looked puzzled, but Lilynette stretched out her hand and the butterfly landed on her forefinger. As the butterfly flapped its wings, Yamamoto's voice filled the air. Some of the passing students stopped, surprised that the Captain-Commander would send a personal message to the former Espada.

"Ulquiorra, Harribel, Lilynette, and Starrk," the voice said. "Please report to Squad 1's Barracks. I am sending Captains Ukitake and Hitsugaya to escort you. That is all until you have arrived."

When the message was finished, the butterfly flew away. The four summoned looked at each other, wondering why the Captain-Commander would want to see them. Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked extremely pissed-off that they weren't summoned as well.

"Shit, why the fuck weren't we called?" Nnoitora asked.

"Obviously the old man has his favorites," Grimmjow growled. "They're a bunch of fucking ass-kissers."

"Hey, don't let it bother you," Starrk said. "I'm sure that the Captain-Commander will summon you eventually. To be honest, I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be," Harribel said, putting her hand on his arm and smiling at him. "I'm sure it's nothing bad."

"I hope so," Starrk said, smiling at her.

_**Orihime's Apartment**_

Orihime Inoue sat down for her breakfast of toast with bean paste and chocolate chips. She looked over at the picture of her brother, Sora, and smiled. Her hand went to the two hair pins, the last thing her brother ever gave her before he died.

"I hope you're doing fine, Big Brother. I'm…okay. Ichigo is losing his abilities and he's…he's taking it rather hard. I…I don't know how to feel. A part of me feels bad, but another part…feels glad. It means…it means that he won't have to take that…that…"

She couldn't finish. She remembered Ichigo, lying on the roof of Las Noches. She could still see the hole in his chest and his lifeless eyes. She remembered running towards him, crying out his name and Ulquiorra appearing in front of her telling her that it was useless to try to help her, and yet she did what she could. Then the Horror came. Ichigo rose from the dead, but he wasn't Ichigo. The sight of his Hollow self made manifest terrified her, even though she tried not to show it. However, when she saw that Ichigo drive his sword through Uryu, she felt her heart break. Then, when Ichigo was ready to fire a cero that would have killed both her and Uryu, Ulquiorra attacked.

She felt tears well into her eyes at the memory of how Ulquiorra saved them, including Ichigo. If he hadn't attacked Ichigo at that moment, then she and Uryu would have died and Ichigo would have lost his humanity. Then as Ulquiorra began to turn to ashes, she saw the sorrow in his eyes. He tried to reach out to her and she tried to hold him, but was unable to.

"Oh…Ulquiorra…thank you," she whispered and then cried.

_**The Captain's Meeting Hall**_

Starrk, Lilynette, Harribel, and Ulquiorra stood in the midst of the other captains. Yamamoto looked at each of them in turn, his Lieutenant stood beside him, next to a table that had four bundles of what appeared to be clothes on it. The squad Lieutenants stood against the wall, except for Yachiru, who was sitting on her usual perch on Kenpachi's shoulder. Starrk glanced around at the other Captains and saw that they were each looking at them in turn.

"Hey Starrk," Lilynette whispered pointing at Captain Komamura. "That one kinda looks like a doggy."

"Lilynette, that's impolite. When this meeting is over, I want you to apologize to him," Starrk said.

"Okay, fine," she groaned.

Captain Komamura looked at Starrk who only shrugged. To his surprise, Komamura smiled…well at least he thought he smiled. Ukitake and Kyoraku were obviously smiling and Unohana looked at them kindly, giving them her kind smile and not the _other_ smile. Kenpachi kept glancing towards the doors, most likely hoping that Grimmjow and Nnoitora would waltz through them. The only ones who didn't show any reaction were Byakuya, Hitsugaya, and Sui-Feng.

"This meeting is now in session. You may be wondering why I have called these four students to this meeting."

It became obvious to Starrk that Yamamoto said that for their benefit. From the way things looked, the other Captains already knew or at least suspected the reason they were summoned.

"It is my honor to officially welcome them to the Gotei. They are officially the fastest pupils to graduate from the Shino Academy. Even though it usually takes students six years to complete a curriculum, these four have proven to surpass those levels in only two weeks."

"Even the little girl?" Sui-Feng asked, rather uncertain about her.

"Hey, who are you calling 'little'?"

"Be quiet, Lilynette. Now, apologize to Captain Sui-Feng and Captain-Commander Yamamoto."

"Fine," Lilynette said, not too pleased. "I'm sorry," she said and bowed to the two Captains.

"That's quite alright," Yamamoto said. "I can understand Sui-Feng's confusion. Yes, Lilynette has also proven herself to be more than a match for many of the older students. Also, Starrk would have wished to remain in the Academy to make sure that Lilynette was safe. And I would rather have these four in our Squads as soon as possible for…certain reasons."

There was a murmur at that. Even Captain Kuchiki got caught up in the discussion. Only Captain Kurotsuchi did not look surprise and rolled his eyes at his fellow Captains' reactions. Yamamoto tapped his staff, which also contained his Zanpakuto, on the ground. The chamber became silent.

"Those reasons will be discussed after the ceremony. Now, I know this is sudden, and so I will not have you choose your squads quite yet, unless you already know to which squad you wish to be placed. Instead, this will merely be the passing of your uniform that I had Chojiro make for you. I felt that your uniforms should be made to fit your individual natures. Chojiro is better at that kind of thing and he had some of the other Soul Reapers who are more adept at fashion help as well.

"Chojiro, let's begin with Ulquiorra's, then Harribel's, then Lilynette's, and finally Starrk's."

"Yes, sir," Chojiro said, bowing slightly. "Master Schiffer, if you would please step forward."

Ulquiorra stepped forward and bowed.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer," Yamamoto said. "You are no longer a student, but are now a full-fledged member of the Gotei. You have distinguished yourself, even among your peers. Do you accept your uniform and the responsibility that comes with it?"

"Yes, sir," he replied in his monotonous voice.

"Do you swear to uphold the honor of the Gotei and swear to protect the Soul Society and the Souls wondering in the World of the Living, even if it costs you your life?"

"Yes, sir, I swear to uphold the dignity and laws of the Soul Society and to aid the souls find rest."

"Very good, you may take your uniform and step back."

"Thank you sir," Ulquiorra said and accepted a bundle of clothes that Chojiro held out to him.

"Mistress Harribel, please step forward."

Harribel stepped towards Yamamoto and bowed. She repeated the same oath and took her bundle of clothes from Chojiro as well. The process was repeated with Lilynette and then Starrk was brought forward. He stepped forward, not knowing what to expect.

"Coyote Starrk, you are no longer a student, but are now a full-fledged member of the Gotei. You have distinguished yourself, even among your peers. Also, you have earned my respect with your displays of prowess and adaptability as well as the generosity and kindness that you have shown to the other students and Soul Reapers during your stay. Even though we were enemies a short time ago, I have no misgivings about calling you a Soul Reaper."

"And I have no misgivings in calling you a friend," Shunsui said, smiling.

"And I also have no misgivings," Ukitake said.

"Coyote Starrk, do you accept your uniform and the responsibility that comes with it?"

"I swear, sir."

"Do you also swear to protect the Soul Society, uphold its honor and laws, and help the Souls find rest?"

"I swear, sir. This is where my friends are, and my loyalty and love are with them and to those who have shown us such generosity and kindness."

"What of those who have not been generous or kind?"

"I understand their hesitation, sir. As you pointed out, only a short time ago we were on opposite sides. But just because we were once enemies does not mean that we can't become friends. My friendship with Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake is proof of that. Even though some may resent us, they are still our brothers and sisters in the Gotei and in the Soul Society and I will stand with them. I refuse to allow anything to change that."

"Well-spoken, Starrk," Yamamoto said, thinking. "Have you thought about trying to enter the Central 46?"

"Well..uh…" Starrk said, rubbing his head and chuckling. "You see, sir, authority positions just isn't my thing."

"That may be, but you demonstrate the qualities of a leader," Yamamoto said. "So do Ulquiorra and Harribel. Lilynette, you show tremendous potential as a seated officer. I had misgivings at first about having so many former Arrancar show up, but the former Espada made me worry the most. I am glad that my worries were unfounded with you four. I know that I was not the only one in my misgivings.

"Now then, Starrk, please accept your uniform and return to your comrades."

"Thank you sir," Starrk said, bowing and took his own bundle of clothes from Chojiro.

"Now then, that concludes the ceremony. Now, it's time to explain the recent developments that are occurring in the World of the Living. Starrk, Lilynette, Harribel, Ulquiorra, pay attention. This will be your first mission as official Gotei members."

_**The Cherry Orchard**_

"THIS AIN'T FUCKING FAIR!" Nnoitora shrieked.

"No shit, you get to go on a mission while we have to stay here and continue taking classes," Grimmjow growled.

The students who were celebrating the four's extremely early graduation were having too much fun to pay attention. Starrk was glad. He was meaning to talk with them about what happened during their sparring exercise with Yoruichi. However, every time he thought of it, something always came up and he forgot. However, after they received their uniforms, he remembered what happened.

"Well, perhaps if you worked harder at your studies and paid attention in the exercises, you would have been called as well," Ulquiorra said.

"Ha, this coming from a guy who has dreams of unicorns and rainbows and puppy dogs when he gets drunk," Grimmjow said, smirking.

"At least I do not sleep with a stuffed cat named Fluffy," Ulquiorra said.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Nnoitora shrieked out, laughing. "Aw man, wait until the other guys in Squad 11 hear about this!"

"For your information, Captain Zaraki sleeps with a teddy bear named BooBoo," Grimmjow said. "Ulquiorra," he snarled after Nnoitora was shocked into silence, "I swear I'm gonna fuckin' kill ya."

"I dare you to try it, trash," Ulquiorra said.

"You guys stop your senseless argument," Starrk said.

They looked at him in surprise. They had never heard Starrk use that tone with them and the shock silenced them. At that moment, Harribel saw what Yamamoto saw. She had wondered what he meant when he said that Starrk had demonstrated the qualities of a leader. She was seeing it now. He seemed to tower over them and yet also retained his dignity and love for them.

"Alright, Starrk, we will cease our argument," Ulquiorra said, somewhat surprised.

"Thanks," Starrk said. "There's been something I've been meaning to talk with you about. Do you remember that sparring match we had with Yoruichi?"

"You mean that dark-skinned bitch who made me look like a fool?" Grimmjow asked.

"Yes, anyways, when I was sparring with her I…I heard someone telling me what I needed to know to defeat her."

"Was it Lilynette?" Harribel asked, remembering her own experience with a voice talking in her own head.

"No, it wasn't. It was…Los Lobos."

"You mean your Zanpakuto? That is impossible. We learned that we can only hear the voice of our Zanpakuto is if we are doing Jinzen," Ulquiorra said.

"I know, but I've been thinking about it. When we were Arrancars, our Zanpakuto held a portion of our powers. What if, somehow, our Zanpakuto always share a link with us, whether we do Jinzen or not?"

"That is a possibility," Ulquiorra said.

"Wait a minute, if that's the case, then how could you do it?" Grimmjow asked.

"Of course, Lilynette was the equivalent of your Zanpakuto," Harribel said, realizing something. "As a result, you could hear your Zanpakuto and hold a conversation because it just came naturally to you."

"That's possible, but she, Los Lobos I mean, told me that the other Zanpakuto were trying to help you. That got me curious. Did any of you hear something trying to talk with you, even if it was at the back of your mind?"

The other former Espada looked at each other. Lilynette smiled and nodded right away. Starrk was not a bit surprised with her. He had a feeling that she heard it ever since their Kido practice. Grimmjow and Nnoitora only shook their heads. Harribel nodded while Ulquiorra only sat thinking about it.

"I suppose…" Ulquiorra muttered. "Yes, I did. However, I did not think anything of it. It was when Yoruichi was flipping over my head."

"With me, it was when Yoruichi did her Utsusemi," Harribel said. "However, I thought it was just remembering Zommari's technique."

Starrk nodded. Grimmjow and Nnoitora probably hadn't heard their Zanpakuto because they never really involved themselves in Jinzen. He thought that Harribel was right. The reason why he was able to do it was because Lilynette was the equivalent of his Zanpakuto while he was an Arrancar. He began to think of her tackles and hits and shouts as being the Arrancar equivalent of Jinzen.

He then remembered their Kido practice. Normally, Shakkaho would look like a crimson orb of light and would explode on contact with the target. Also, Shakkaho would travel in a straight line. No, when they did Shakkaho, only Lilynette's looked like an actual Shakkaho, but it didn't behave like the Hado spell. Instead, their Hado spells behaved like a combination of Cero and Kido. That was when Starrk realized what the most likely explanation could be.

"I see," Ulquiorra said. "Judging by the reaction on your face, Starrk, you have reached the same conclusion that I have."

"That depends on what your conclusion is," Starrk said.

"What is it?" Harribel asked, although she was also beginning to understand.

"Hey, don't leave us out of the loop," Grimmjow said.

"Think about it," Ulquiorra said. "Our Kido is different from the normal Soul Reaper's. We can perform Jinzen without having to go into deep meditation."

"So what?" Nnoitora asked.

"It means," Starrk said. "We have retained some of our Hollow abilities."

_**Karakura Town**_

Harper opened her eyes again. A bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup sat next to her. She looked for the man who found her, but didn't see him. Instead, she saw a woman who was in her mid-twenties with lightly tanned skin and shoulder-length black hair. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with the sleeves torn off. She wore two necklaces: one was a silver ankh and the other a gold pentagram with a cross in the center.

"Ah, you're awake," she said.

Harper backed away from the woman's hands. She held up her hands and gripped the woman's wrist.

"It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I want him. I want the one who found me."

The door opened and they both looked in that direction. Milton came rushing in. His long black coat fluttered behind him. His blue eyes were wide.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"She's fine. She's able to move. But…I think it would put her at ease if you would make some introductions."

"I'm sorry, you're absolutely right, Sylvia. I should have told her my name the moment we first met."

"That's your problem. You don't usually think about such mundane things as an introduction."

"You're right. Anyways, this beautiful woman is Sylvia O'Connor. She'll be looking after you when I'm not here until you get well enough to get about on your own. You can trust her."

"I…I can trust her?" Harper asked.

"Of course you can trust her. She's a very nice young lady. In fact, you can trust any of those who come here. They're your new family."

"Please, Mister, tell me your name."

"Of course, my name is Milton Dante."

_**Karakura High School**_

Rukia concentrated. Her pencil hovered over the page. Then she circled her guess to the question that had been plaguing her since she came across it. She had taken enough tests to know that if a question gave you problems skip it and then return to it when you were done with the other questions. The exam was on Japanese Literature and she felt pretty comfortable with her answers.

After all, her Captain, brother, and Captain Kyoraku owned some of the larger private libraries in the Soul Society and she had borrowed books from them. However the question that plagued her was:

23. Jippensha Ikku is considered the Le Sage and this 19th Century British author of Japan

a. Geoffrey Chaucer

b. Charles Dickens

c. William Shakespeare

d. William Thackeray

She had no idea who any of those authors were. She knew who Jippensha Ikku was and had even read his _Footing It Along the Tokaido_, which her brother considered vulgar. However, she found it quite funny and even discussed it with Ukitake and Kyoraku. She had always wanted to read something from the West, but never got around to it. If Kyoraku or Ukitake were there, they would have helped her.

Whenever she saw a book from a Western author, she was always intrigued with their foreign names. The names of Ovid and Alexandre Dumas and Tolkien and Stephen King seemed to sound like music. The names on the page before her had the look of something exotic and exciting. Even though she didn't know what the answer was, she decided to take a stab at it. In her mind she pronounced each name the best she could, and liked the sound of Charles Dickens. She circled "b." which happened to be the right answer.

"Alright class, pencils down," Miss Ochi said. "Please pass your tests forward and that will conclude our course on Japanese Literature. Next week, we'll start with Western Literature."

Rukia brightened at that. She would finally read something from Europe or the Americas. She wondered which authors would be selected and which works they would read. She only heard about Western authors from Kyoraku or Ukitake or some of the Western Soul Reapers who came to visit while she was in the Soul Society. However, in the Land of the Living, she heard even more people mentioning them. She would have to ask Ichigo if he had read any Western Literature.

"Hey, Rukia," Sachiko said. "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, I was wondering what books we were going to read for Western Literature. I've…never read one before."

"Really?" Sachiko asked, and then mouthed, "Wow". "You don't know what you're missing. Hey, I brought one with me. It's about rabbits. You can borrow it if you'd like."

"Really, that would be awesome," Rukia said.

"Here, I brought it with me," she said and dug through her bag. "Ah, here it is."

She held out a rather battered paperback book with the picture of a rabbit in some kind of field looking out over the distance. Rukia looked at the cover in awe. Her eyes sparkled. When she was told that she would be stationed in the World of the Living, her eyes had that same glimmer. She knew that she was holding the gateway to a completely different world.

"_Watership Down_," she read.

"Yeah, it's a really good book. I must have read it like six times already. Oh, and when you're done with that, I have another one that I can lend you. It's called _Peter Pan_ by some guy named Jam Berry or something like that."

"Wow, do you think your sister has any recommendations?"

"I can ask her."

"Oh thank you," Rukia said holding the book like some kind of treasure.

"Hey Rukia, are ya coming?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, just a moment," Rukia said.

"Oh, hey Sachiko," Ichigo said, noticing Rukia's friend.

"Hey Ichigo," Sachiko said.

"So what are you two up to?"

"Oh…well…you see, I've never read a book by a Western author before. Sachiko was loaning me one for me to read."

"Really…you've never read a Western author before?"

"No, I've never read one before, mostly because of my brother. He tends to…frown on such things. Why, have you?"

"I'm not much of a reader, but I have read a couple, and I think my dad has a few at home. I'll see if I can find them if you want."

"Thanks, Ichigo, I would appreciate it."

As they were leaving, Rukia's soul pager began beeping. She took it out and her eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Ichigo and then at Sachiko, who had her soul pager out. Rukia guessed that they got the same message.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"We got a report. The Soul Society is sending in a team to help with the investigation of the missing team from Squad 12."

"Really, is Renji going to be with them?" Ichigo asked.

"They haven't given us specifics. They just say that they'll be here sometime soon," Sachiko said. "However, they also mentioned that a secondary team will arrive shortly after them and brief us."

_**Squad 6 Barracks**_

Ulquiorra looked at himself in the mirror.

The black pants he received were not like the usual hakama. Instead they appeared to be like the dress pants he saw during some of his visits to the World of the Living. The black formal boots that came with it felt comfortable on his feet. The black shirt was somewhat loose on him and he allowed his hands to travel along the green trim. He wondered what Chojiro was thinking when he was making the design. For Ulquiorra, a regular uniform would have sufficed.

He then looked at the long black Ulster coat he received with silver buttons inlaid with emeralds. He tried it on and found that the sleeves were somewhat tight, but then flared out at the elbows and ended at his wrists with green satin trim. The sleeves, just above the wrists, were embroidered with a bat with a silver moon behind it with lightning bolts shooting from its wings. The embroidery was so small and faint that one had to look carefully to see it. When he put the jacket on, he saw that it was cut into three separate tails from the waist to the bottom, which reached just above his ankles like a Mandarin coat.

When Ulquiorra finished putting this jacket on and buttoning the buttons, he then tied the emerald green sash around his waist and then used the circular silver clasp to hold it together. He then tucked his Zanpakuto into his sash. After putting his uniform together, he looked into the mirror again. Seeing it all together, Ulquiorra felt that Chojiro did an excellent job. The uniform felt right on him, more right than his old Arrancar uniform ever did.

He turned away from the mirror, and saw Captain Kuchiki looking at him.

"Captain Kuchiki, to what do I owe this honor?"

"I see that you have decided to start wearing your new uniform."

"Yes sir, since I am officially a Soul Reaper now."

"Yet you do not have a squad."

"It is true that I have not officially chosen a squad. However, I have decided that I wish to join the Sixth Squad with your permission, sir."

"And why should I allow you to enter my Squad?"

"The reason is that I respect you, sir. When I first saw you, I immediately saw someone who would not back down from his convictions. If it came down to a choice between upholding the Law and saving a loved-one, you would choose to uphold the Law for that is your conviction. Am I correct in my assumptions?"

Byakuya felt rather uncomfortable when Ulquiorra said that. He remembered how we was willing to break the promise he made to his wife, Hisana, to protect Rukia, in order to uphold the Laws. Without the Law there would be nothing but chaos. For Ulquiorra to remind him of that was both like a soothing balm and salt placed on a wound.

"You assume much, Ulquiorra," Byakuya said. "However, I am willing to hear you out. How do you view the Law?"

"Those who break the Laws established to protect the community must face justice," Ulquiorra said after giving the matter some thought. "They must be punished according to their crimes and according to the eyes of the Law."

Byakuya paled slightly. He remembered saying those things to Ichigo on top of Sokyoku Hill. To hear them repeated back to him made him feel the shame he felt when he realized that Aizen had used the Law that he held so dear to cause him to turn on his own sister. He could hear Hisana, as she lay dying have him promise her that he would protect her sister. After she died, he made a promise to his family never to do anything that would put the Law and the Social Order in jeopardy. He thought he could keep them both. However, when the two promises collided with each other, he did what his station demanded.

"Sentimentality is nothing when compared to the Law. Therefore, I must not give in to sentiments," he whispered.

"We must set an example for all Soul Reapers."

"If we do not uphold the Law, then who will?" they both said together.

Byakuya looked at Ulquiorra and nodded.

"I see that you were correct in your assessment. Very well, I will allow you to officially join Squad 6. When you have completed your mission, you will make your choice known at the Ceremony before the other Captains."

_**Squad 10 Barracks**_

"Wow, it looks really good on you," Rangiku said.

Harribel turned to look at Rangiku and smiled.

"Do you really think so?"

She looked at her new uniform. Even though she was given the traditional black Hakama, it had thin turquoise trimming at the bottom of the leggings. Her cream shoes glittered like sand in a sun-lit afternoon. Instead of the traditional kosode, she was given a sleeveless green coat that went to mid-thigh with buttons made of gold and pearls. A thin trim of turquoise silk lined the collar while gold silk trim lined the coat's bottom hem. She wore the turquoise sash around her waist with her Zanpakuto tucked in.

"Oh yeah, and it goes great with your skin tone, too."

"Do you think Starrk might like it?"

"Oh, I think he will. However, I think something's missing."

"Really, what's missing?"

"Well, I might have a good idea," Rangiku said and brought out a flat box. "I got you this as a kind of welcome-to-the-team gift."

"You didn't have to do that," Harribel said, but she took the box anyways.

"Oh yes I did, because I wanted to. Go ahead, open it."

Harribel took the box's top off and looked at a pair of white fingerless gloves. She took them out and put them on. She admired how the gloves fit and smiled.

"Thanks Rangiku," she said.

"You're welcome. So, have you thought about what squad you would like to be in?"

"I'm not really sure, but…I think I'm leaning to this one. You've all been so kind to me and I would like to serve in whatever capacity I can. But…"

"If you're worried that you won't be able to see Starrk, don't worry. We're on very friendly terms with Squads 8 and 13. Of course Toshiro hardly ever goes on our little escapades."

"Well, I was kind of worried about that. Starrk and Lilynette have already decided to stay with Squad 8."

"I figured they would," Rangiku said. "Well, anyways, we better get going or we'll be late."

"Late for what?" Harribel asked, curious.

"Why, for your first meeting with the Shinigami Woman's Association, or SWA. You're officially a Soul Reaper, and I'm inviting you. I also invited Lilynette and we can stop by Squad 8's Barracks to pick her up. That way you can show off your new uniform to Starrk."

Rangiku gave Harribel a sly wink. Harribel felt her face flush and grinned a little. She followed Rangiku out of the room. She saw her former fraccion sitting in one of the rooms. They were arguing, as usual, over who did the best job in their exam.

"Ladies," Harribel said, looking in on them.

"Oh, Mistress Harribel," Apacci said.

"I take it you had a practical exam today."

"Yeah, we did," Mila Rose said.

"We were supposed to demonstrate our Kido abilities," Sung-Sun added. "We've reached Kido spells level 20 and above, but our instructor has been rather disappointed with us."

"Oh, why is that?"

"That jack-ass assumes that just because we're former Arrancars, we can do what you guys could do," Apacci said.

"Oh, I bet he misses his prize students," Harribel said, laughing.

"I'll say," Mila Rose said. "Every time we have his class, he goes on and on about what an amazing display you guys did. However, he never mentions Nnoitora or Grimmjow."

"That's because those two are more skilled at swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat instead of Kido," Sung-Sun said. "Although, our Hoho instructor has said that they're pretty much at graduate level now."

"So, where are you heading off to?" Apacci asked.

"Well, Rangiku and I are going to a meeting with the Shinigami Woman's Association. Hey, Rangiku, can they come too? I know they're still students, but I would like them to experience this."

"Sure, I'm fine with it, the more the merrier," Rangiku said, smiling. "I can tell the others that I invited them as well."

"Alright, Ladies, come along."

"Yes ma'am," they answered in unison.

_**Squad 8 Barracks**_

Lilynette rushed to Starrk's room to show off her new uniform. She wore black boots with silver grey fur lining with the leggings of her charcoal pants tucked in. She wore a cream-colored poet's shirt and a glaucous vest with gold buttons, each engraved with a wolf cub. Her Zanpakuto was tucked into the amethyst-colored sash she wore matador style around her waist. Some of the Squad 8 members got out of her way as she rushed past them. She reached Starrk's room and slid the rice-paper door open.

"Hey Starrk," she said.

She stopped when she saw that Starrk was in his new uniform. He was wearing a pair of black boots and black pants. He wore a white shirt with black trim and gold buttons, each engraved with a wolf, that he kept un-tucked. His Zanpakuto was tucked under the dark blue sash he wore matador style. His long black coat, which he wore over this outfit, reached down the back of his calf muscles and had silver fur lining at the collar. She could barely make out the embroidery of silver thread on his sleeves that showed a pack of wolves running across a desert landscape with a crescent moon behind them. To finish his outfit, he wore a pair of charcoal-grey gloves embroidered with a howling wolf in gold thread.

"Oh, hey Lilynette," Starrk said, turning around from the mirror. "Ah, showing off your new uniform, right?"

"Yeah, so, what do you think?"

"Hmm, I don't really know that much about fashion," Starrk said, rubbing his brown hair. "Overall, though, I think that it's way better than your Arrancar uniform."

"Thanks Starrk," she said.

"Hey, aren't you gonna tell me what you think of my uniform?"

"It looks great," she said. "It almost looks like what you wore in your Resurrección."

"How did you know what I wore in my Resurrección?"

"Silly, I saw it whenever you manifested those spirit wolves."

"Oh, that's right. I kind of wonder why they went to so much trouble making our uniforms different from the others."

"I don't know. I guess the Captain-Commander wanted to do something nice for us."

"Well, I wonder what everyone else's looks like."

"Oh, there you are," someone said.

They turned and saw Kyoraku standing in the doorway. He was looking at them and smiled.

"So, how do you like your uniforms?"

"Well," Starrk said. "I'm a little perplexed. Why did the Captain-Commander do this for us?"

"He probably felt that you guys wouldn't look as good in the traditional uniform. Besides, as long as the traditional black is incorporated somehow, it really doesn't matter. Although, when it comes to the Captain's coat…let's just say he gets really mad if anything happens to that."

"Oh… So, what did you want to see us about?"

"Oh, Rangiku and Harribel are out front with those three other gals," Kyoraku said with a wink.

"That's right," Lilynette said.

"What is it?" Starrk asked.

"Rangiku invited me to join the SWA."

"Wow, not even a day into being an official Soul Reaper and you're already invited to join the Shinigami Woman's Association?" Kyoraku asked.

"Yeah, and I bet Harribel got invited to. Come one Starrk."

"Wait, why do I have to come?"

"Oh go on," Kyoraku said, giving another sly wink. "I bet Harribel would like to see you in your uniform."

Starrk turned red, but then he shrugged. He figured that he might as well go see Harribel. He walked a little behind Lilynette who was trying to get him to go faster. When they reached the court they saw the cluster of five women and Starrk stood still. He couldn't help but notice that Harribel looked really good in her new uniform. He quickly regained his composure and walked towards them.

"Hey Starrkey," Rangiku called out, waving to him. "Lookin' good."

"Hey Rangiku…hey Harribel, you look…great."

"Thanks Starrk," Harribel said. "You look great yourself."

"Thanks…uh…Lilynette told me about this Women's Association thing. I hope you don't do anything that would cause me to worry."

"Oh don't worry," Rangiku said. "Yachiru is our President."

"Oh boy, now I know I'm going to worry," Starrk said.

Harribel and Rangiku laughed. They knew perfectly well that whenever Yachiru and Lilynette got together, trouble would follow. When you added the candy that the other members of the SWA brought, you were asking for mass destruction that would make Grimmjow and Nnoitora quake with fear.

"Well, we better get going," Rangiku said.

"Bye Starrk, I'll see ya later," Lilynette said.

"Have fun and behave yourself," Starrk said and kissed Lilynette on the forehead.

Harribel smiled when she saw him make that small gesture. He always did it before when they were still Arrancar, especially when he sent her to play with Nel. She wondered what it was about. However, during her time in the Soul Society, she saw fathers and older brothers giving that same kind of kiss to their daughters or younger siblings before they went out to play. For the first time, Harribel knew that they were where they truly belonged.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Rukia sat up on her bed in Ichigo's closet, her stuffed Chappy the Rabbit sitting in her lap. The lamp she brought so long ago cast its light over the pages of the book as she read. She was transported to the world of Fiver and Hazel and the other rabbits as they made their way to find a new home after their old one was destroyed. She imagined England's countryside looking like the area around Mount Koifushi where she and Kaien used to train.

"Hey Rukia, I'm going to bed," Ichigo called out.

"Okay," she said, not really paying any attention.

"Rukia, are you alright?"

She put the book down and slid the closet door open.

"I'm fine. I was just enjoying my book," she said.

"Jeez, sorry," Ichigo said. "Anyways, don't stay up too late."

"I'll try not to, Hazel."

"What did you call me?"

"Relax. I only called you that because you remind me a little bit of one of the characters. I think I'll start calling Uryu 'Fiver' and Chad 'Bigwig'."

"Are they characters from that book?"

"Yeah, but…I just don't know which one I'm like," she said.

"Well, don't worry about it. Maybe you're not in it."

"What do you mean I'm not in it?"

"Well, maybe you're a combination of characters," Ichigo said. "But, my Dad told me that when you read a book, read for the story first. Then, go back and look into it as you would a mirror. My Dad says that books are like mirrors, they show us something about ourselves. Of course, I have no idea what he's talking about most of the time."

"Whatever," Rukia said and smiled a little as she slid the closet door closed.

She picked up the book and placed Chappy the Rabbit back in her lap and started where she left off. She thought about what Ichigo said and then decided not to let it worry her and just enjoy the story. She knew that she would be re-reading this one very soon.

_**Kuchiki Manor**_

"Is it…alright for us to be here?"

"Oh yeah," Rangiku said. "This is where we have most of our meetings. Partially thanks to Yoruichi beating Byakuya in a little game of Chase the Devil and partially to Yachiru's tunnel system."

"Yeah, Yachiru showed them to me," Lilynette said, grinning. "She has a whole network under the entire Soul Society."

"You're joking, right?" Apacci asked, rather doubtful.

"She isn't," Rangiku said, smiling. "Yachiru is well-known for her tunneling expertise. Anyways the door should be…here," she said and pressed on one of the wall panels and another panel slid up.

Harribel looked in and was surprised to see that there was a rather large room. There was a rather large round table with cushions around it and a whiteboard next to a podium. A long table was lined against the wall and was covered with all types of snacks and candy. A large crystal bowl of punch glimmered on one end next to a large supply of sake. There was also a stove with pots of tea sitting on top, still steaming.

Nanao, Squad 8's Lieutenant, walked towards them. She looked at Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun and then at Rangiku.

"They can't be here," she said. "They're not full-fledged Soul Reapers yet. They haven't even graduated yet."

"Awwww, Vice-President," Rangiku whined. "I just wanted them to get an idea of what we do before they graduate."

"This club is for women SOUL REAPERS, not just students," Nanao said.

"Damn, she's as stuck up as Ulquiorra," Apacci whispered.

"No kidding," Mila Rose said.

"Miss Ise, is there a problem?" Unohana asked.

"Uh…well, Chairwoman Unohana…these three are not official Soul Reapers."

"Well, I have no problem with them being here. After all, they are on track to graduating early and I think that it's a good idea for them to get accustomed to our activities before they do," Unohana said, smiling.

Harribel, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, and Apacci recognized that smile. As a result, Nanao's reaction was inevitable. She began to rub her hands and sweat gleamed on her forehead.

"I…I agree, Captain Unohana," Nanao said.

"Very good," Unohana said, reverting back to her normal smile.

After a few more minutes of mingling, Yoruichi arrived with Sui-Feng trailing behind. She smiled and waved at Harribel and did not show any surprise when she saw her three former fraccion. Sui-Feng was obviously surprised at seeing three more guests than she had expected. However, she merely shrugged it off.

"Madame President," Nanao said. "We're ready to begin now."

"Okay, Glasses," Yachiru shouted and kicked Nemu away from the podium. "Alright, first let me welcome our two new members. Hi Boobies, hi BFF," she said waving to Harribel and Lilynette.

"Hi BFF," Lilynette said, grinning and waving back.

"What did she call me?" Harribel asked, rather shocked.

"She gives everyone a nickname," Isane Kotetsu said. "Mine is 'Giraffe' and my sister's is 'Paige-Boy'."

"But, why 'Boobies' and not something cooler like 'Sharkey'?"

"Probably because you have large breasts," Nemu said.

"You should be honored being given the same nickname as Lady Yoruichi," Sui-Feng said.

"I…will…have…order," Yachiru said, unleashing her spiritual pressure that took on the form of a pink cat's hissing face. "Good, now, tonight we're gonna talk about ways of making money. Our budget has been depleted."

"That should come as no surprise," Nanao said. "You spend it all on candy or toys or digging equipment."

"Yeah," Yachiru said, sounding rather happy about it. "And I need more candy and toys. So, do you have any ideas Sharkey?"

"Well…uh…I…I suppose we could sell calendars or something," Harribel said. "I'm thinking that maybe we can sell a couple of calendars with photos of some of the Gotei."

"Well…that was one of our biggest sellers," Nanao said. "Let's see, we have a collection for the Captains and another for the officers, but…"

"We don't have one for the former Arrancars," Rangiku said, cheerfully. "I've already got some really good photos if you want to look," she said and held out a stack of photos to Nanao.

"They're not like the ones you took of Kira and Hisagi that one time," Nanao said.

"Don't worry. They're just some candid shots."

"Like I said, 'they're not like the ones you took of Kira and Hisagi,' right?" Nanao growled.

"Oh just take a look. You know, from these photos, I think it might be one of our best sellers."

Nanao took the photos and then looked at Rangiku. She was surprised that her more candid photos were not as "revealing" as the ones for Kira and Hisagi. She was pleasantly surprised at how good a photographer Rangiku was.

"I think you might be right," Nanao said and passed them back to Rangiku.

The other women gathered around the photos. Harribel, who was sitting next to Rangiku, looked at the photos. She couldn't help but admit that they were very good. Some of the women even gave wolf howls when they saw a particularly tasty photo of one of the sexier Arrancar men.

However, the photo that caused Harribel's heart to skip a beat was a photo of Starrk sitting at the Cherry Orchard with Shunsui and Ukitake. The photo showed him with his head slightly lowered. His eyes were downcast. However, the slight smile he had made him look like a man who has found refuge from many hardships.

"May I have this one?" Harribel asked, showing Rangiku the photo.

"Sure," Rangiku said, smiling. "I made a duplicate of that one since I knew that it would look good in a publication. Or, would you rather that I don't print that one at all?"

"No, it's fine if you want to print it. I think…I think this will help the others understand us a little better."

_**Karakura Town**_

"Harper, Harper," Milton whispered.

"Hmm," Harper moaned as she opened her eyes.

"It's time for you to meet the rest of our family."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is. Are you up for it?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, just take my hand and don't worry. Everything will be alright. You're among family now."

Harper took Milton's hand and got off the couch where she took her naps. She felt a chill rise through her body from the cold concrete. She was glad for the jeans and the short-sleeved green t-shirt that she wore. She felt a wave of nausea come over her, but it passed. She felt as though something was pushing from the inside of her skull. However, when Milton put his hand on her forehead, the sensation passed.

"Why am I having these headaches?" she asked.

"It's because your ability is trying to manifest itself."

"What ability?"

"Well, it varies from person-to-person. Each of us here has what we call 'Risveglio'. Risveglio is unique to each person based on a combination of their Reiatsu and personality. Some Risveglio can control the natural elements while others can control a person's perceptions."

"Why is it trying to manifest itself?"

"We don't really know, but it could be the same as a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto."

"What are Soul Reapers?"

"Their beings whose job is to help us pass on, but…they failed. So now, it is our raison d'être. That is why we evolved, to help the Lost Souls evolve and thus be able to protect themselves from Hollows. Ah, here we are."

He opened the door and Harper saw a group of eight individuals looking at them. She recognized Sylvia, but none of the others.

"You already know Sylvia O'Connor, so I should introduce you to the others. The man next to her is Howard Machen."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Bradbury," he said and took her hand and gently kissed the knuckles.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Harper said.

He then took her over to another man who was leaning against a column. He wore a black leather jacket and dark jeans tucked into a pair of brown cowboy boots. He removed his navy blue cap and stood at attention.

"This is Ambrose Stoker. Out of the ten of us, he was one of two who had to use the Gigai in order to be reformed. As a result, his Risveglio is completely dependent on his Gigai."

"So, he can't free himself from his Gigai?"

"No, he can't, but he can hide his physical presence from the rest of the world and battle within a dimension that he can create. The same holds true with the other who had to be reformed by Gigai."

"Do you hate that?" Harper asked, feeling rather sad for Ambrose's inability to fight in a Spiritual Body.

"I see it as an opportunity to only become stronger," Ambrose said. "After all, nothing can teach you about your strengths quite like your weaknesses. So, I would have to say I don't resent it. In fact, I embrace it because it forces me to use caution when battling an opponent."

"Thank you, Ambrose, now, the next one I want you to meet is Charlotte Wolfe," Milton said and led her to a woman dressed in dark clothing with a choke collar around her neck.

"It's nice to have you," Charlotte said, sounding rather bored with the whole thing.

"Now Charlotte, please make our newest member feel welcome," a woman with platinum-blonde hair said. She wore a one shoulder black t-shirt with silver sparkles that ran along the top and a short black-leather skirt with black knee-high boots. "Hello, I'm Shirley Wilde," she said and held out her hand.

"Hello," Harper said and shook her hand.

"Shirley was the other who needed to be reformed in a Gigai," Milton said. "As a result she and Ambrose only have half-Risveglio, but even then they are very powerful. Now, let's continue."

He led her to an older man who looked to be in his late thirties. He was dressed in a regular business suit. When he saw them approach, he gave a slight bow.

"I'm Robert Borges," he said. "It is a pleasure to get a chance to meet you."

"I'm Harper Bradbury," she said, returning the bow.

"I'm Emily Dumas," a teenage girl said from next to him. She was dressed in a girl's uniform with a bright red skirt and a loose white shirt with decorative flames at the wrists. The top three buttons of the shirt were unbuttoned and showed some of her considerable bosom as well part of the pink bra she wore underneath.

"Emily, please button up. You're embarrassing our new sister," Milton said.

"Oh…sorry," she said re-buttoning the shirt, but keeping the top one unbuttoned. "I just get so uncomfortable being buttoned up. Sometimes I think that boobs are another curse that we girls have to put up with, along with periods and men."

"Emily, that's enough," Robert said. "Please, keep a civil tongue."

"Yes, Daddy," she said and stuck out her tongue.

"I apologize for my ward's behavior," Robert said. "I wish that she could be better behaved."

"She's just being a teenager," Milton said, laughing.

"That's not surprising," a young man with wavy blonde hair said. "She's always flirting with someone."

"That ain't true, Willy," Emily said. "I'm not always a flirt, just most of the time."

"See what I mean? Anyways, I'm William Marlowe," he said and shook Harper's hand.

"Watch out for him," Emily whispered to Harper. "He's such a Don Juan. Hell, he thinks that he's God's gift to women."

Harper giggled at that, but William just ignored it. He only shrugged and leaned against a concrete column, crossing his feet.

"Well, that's everyone," Milton said.

"Do you guys have a group name or something?"

"Yes we do," Milton replied. "We call ourselves the Mangiatori. My fellow Mangiatori," he said and all eyes were upon him and Harper. "Today we welcome our newest sister, Harper Bradbury. She has evolved to our level and her Risveglio wants to be made manifest. What do you say?"

"Welcome and manifest," they replied in unison.

"Now, Harper, I want you to concentrate and say the first word that comes to your mind. That word will be your release command. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said.

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate. What is the first word to come to your mind?"

"Remember."

"That's good. Now, go deep and you will see a pool of mist. Now, grab that mist and show us what you can do and speak its name."

Harper could see a pool of mist form behind her closed eyes. She reached out and saw something that made her gasp. She grabbed hold of the quivering girl who looked so much like her when she was five.

_What's your name?_

_Memoria Del Dolore._

_Why are you crying?_

_I remember._

_What do you remember?_

_I remember._

"Now," Milton's voice said. "Show us what your Risveglio can do."

The room began to fill with a thick luminescent fog as she showed them her true power.

**End of Chapter 3**

**"Alright, let's take a vote on who everyone thinks is the hottest of the former Espada," Rangiku said when Nanao left to take the photos to the printers.**

**"YAY, SEXY VOTE!" Yachiru shouted. "I VOTE FOR GRIMM-KITTY!"**

**"I vote the same, Madame President," Nemu said in her dead pan voice.**

**"Madame Chairwoman?" Isane asked.**

**"A very good question, but I would have to say Ulquiorra," Unohana said.**

**"Then I vote for Ulquiorra too," Isane said. "I always vote with my Captain."**

**"I vote for Starrk," Isane's sister, Kiyone said. "He's friends with Captain Ukitake. Is that alright, Harribel? I mean I know you like him."**

**"That's fine, but keep in mind...Starrk's mine," Harribel said in a low and dangerous voice. "Ladies?"**

**"Starrk," Mila Rose, Apacci, and Sung-Sun said at once.**

**"Seriously," Harribel said. "Don't just vote for Starrk because I did."**

**"Alright, fine," Mila Rose said. "Grimmjow."**

**"Ulquiorra," Sung-Sun said.**

**"Fine...Starrk," Apacci said. "And I'm being serious. Don't worry, Mistress Harribel, I would never try to steal him from you."**

**"Good," Harribel said.**

**"How about you Sui-Feng?" Yoruichi asked.**

**"Oh...uh...I don't know. Who do you think, Lady Yoruichi?"**

**"Nope, otherwise you'd vote with me."**

**"Fine...Ulquiorra," Sui-Feng said, slightly blushing.**

**"Grimmjow," Yoruichi said.**

**"Lilynette, how about you?" Unohana asked.**

**"Well, since Starrk and I were part of the same being, if I said 'Starrk' it would be like calling myself 'Sexy' so...Starrk."**

**"Grimmjow," Rangiku said. "No wait, Ulquiorra since he's got a nice bod. No, maybe Starrk since he makes a good drinking buddy and a nice bod. Ah I'll just say all of them, except for that giant walking stick. Now, let's post the results where everyone can see."**

**The Next Day:**

**SWA Vote for SEXIEST FORMER ESPADA:**

**Nnoitora: 0**

**Grimmjow: 5**

**Ulquiorra: 5**

**Starrk: 5**

**"WHAT THE FUCK?" Nnoitora shrieked when he saw the post**

**A.N.: Thanks for your patience. I'm still hard at work writing the next chapters for my stories as well as some new ones that just popped into my head so updates will be slow in coming, but they'll keep coming. Anyways, the Shinigami Cup was inspired by an image of Nnoitora seeing a post with the SWA's vote for SEXIEST FORMER ESPADA with a three-way tie between Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Starrk (since Rangiku couldn't make up her mind), and no votes for him.**

**Anyways, in a couple of chapters I'll start doing "Profilo Dei Mangiatori" which will be like "Arrancar Encyclopedia" or any other informative segments in the Bleach Anime. It will be done in an interview-style with Kon (otherwise he wouldn't have any appearances).**

**That's all for now. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and please review.**


	5. Chapter 4: Arrival

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 4: Arrival**

_Paths cross only to separate_

_Sometimes they long to cross again_

_Other times they long to never meet again_

_When paths cross again_

_It can be so bittersweet_

Ichigo Kurosaki woke earlier than usual. He stretched and yawned and looked at his clock. He was surprised to see that it was only 5:34 AM and wondered why he woke up so early. As he got up, a wave of nausea struck him and he dashed to the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before he began to vomit.

He knelt before the great porcelain god, panting. Sweat poured over his face and he felt a chill run through his body. Ever since he started losing his abilities as a Soul Reaper, he had moments like this. Sometimes he would even collapse to his hands and knees. When Yuzu and Karin first saw this he was able to dismiss it as a case of the flu, but his dad knew better.

When Isshin lost his own spiritual powers he went through moments like that. He knew that as his son progressed in losing his abilities, the physical ailments would only get much worse. This was one aspect of losing his abilities that Ichigo hated. Not only was he becoming powerless in the Spiritual world, but now he was beginning to become powerless in the physical world.

"Damn it," he muttered as he began to cry.

"Ichigo," Rukia called out, knocking on the bathroom door. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine," he gasped.

"May I come in?"

"No, don't come in," Ichigo said. "I'm…I'm just finishing up."

He reached up and flushed the toilet. He got to his feet and maintained his balance by leaning on the counter until he got his knees under control. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw that he was extremely pale. Dark rings were beginning to form under his eyes, which were becoming more blood-shot. He turned on the faucet and splashed his face with the ice cold water.

"Keep it together," he whispered. "I gotta keep it together."

_Sure ya do. Ya wouldn't want to look weak now would ya?_

"Go away," he whispered.

Even though he could no longer hear Zangetsu, he could hear _that_ voice. He could imagine his reflection becoming completely white, like bone. Black and yellow eyes gazing out at him filled with hatred, hunger, and insanity.

_I'll never go away. I'm as much a part of you as your own skeleton. Sure, your power's going, but I'll always remain because there's no way we can be torn apart. Besides, there's always a possibility that you'll regain your power. Until then, I'll just grow stronger and wait. Oh yes, I can wait._

Then the voice was gone. Ichigo felt relieved, but the fear still remained. It was true. His darker self could wait and grow stronger. He thought of how when he was at his most desperate, when Ulquiorra killed him for the second time and Orihime cried out to him to save them, he allowed his darker self to take over. As a result, he had almost killed Orihime and Uryu.

"Never again," he muttered. "I'll never let you gain control."

In the deepest and darkest part of his mind, he thought he could hear laughter.

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

Ulquiorra stood at attention in the midst of the other Captains. The three other former Espada who graduated stood with him.

"You will be leaving for the World of the Living," Yamamoto said. "You will be staying with Kisuke Urahara who has been kind enough to offer you a place to stay and give you special training. You will disguise yourselves as students at Karakura High where you will meet with Rukia Kuchiki and Sachiko Amaterasu. Shortly after, the team led by Captain Hitsugaya will follow in order to help in tracing down the mysterious Reiatsu. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah," Starrk said. "What should we do if Ichigo or one of his friends recognizes us?"

"Then you are to explain the situation with them. Those who had close contact with Ichigo and his friends are to keep as low a profile as possible."

"That would be me," Ulquiorra said. "Ichigo will immediately recognize me, but not so with the others."

"He might recognize me," Starrk said. "So I better be careful as well. I think that out of all of us, only Lilynette didn't have any direct contact with them."

"I talked with Orihime once," Lilynette said. "It was when she first arrived at Las Noches. I was curious so I went to see her."

"At any rate," Yamamoto said. "You are to make sure that if they do recognize you that you make the situation very clear to them. That is all. You will be escorted to the Senkaimon Gate. May fortune smile upon your endeavors."

_**Urahara Shop**_

"You didn't," Kisuke said, shocked.

"Oh yes I did," Yoruichi said, grinning.

"You mean to tell me that to make sure that they passed their Hoho exam, you had a bunch of rabid fan girls chase them down. That's…that's priceless."

"I know. I told them to ignore the others, but only go after the former Espada. I was surprised that they actually did that. I knew that they would chase after Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Starrk, but I was worried that they would chase after Findor or Ggio as well."

"Okay, so, what did you promise them?"

"I promised that if they caught any of the former Espada men, then they could keep a souvenir from that Espada. However, if they chased after any of the former fraccion men, then they would not get to keep any souvenirs. However, I made an exception since Harribel had her friends throw Ggio to them. It took him a few days to make a full recovery, although he's still terrified whenever he sees a group of girls coming towards him."

"You're still as cruel as ever," Kisuke said, grinning. "So, they're coming here sometime soon."

"Yes, they should be here pretty soon."

"Do they know Shikai?"

"Not yet, but they are familiar with the overall basics."

"At least as far as a Soul Reaper understand it," Kisuke said. "We don't exactly know if the former Arrancars' methods are the same as ours."

"I suppose that is a problem. So, have you discovered anything about that strange Reiatsu?"

"Rukia came by earlier and asked me that same question. So far, it's nothing that I've come across. I contacted some people in the International Soul Reaper Research Center, but they don't know what it is. Although…"

"What is it?"

"Well, I'm thinking I can contact someone in the Alchemical Division. It's considered a fringe division within the ISRRC. Maybe they've heard something about it."

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

"See ya later, Dad," Ichigo called out. "I'm going out for a bit."

"Hey, wait, Ichigo," Isshin said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just need to get some fresh air. That's all."

"Son, you know you can talk to your Old Man about anything. I'm here for ya."

"Thanks, but…I'm fine."

"Well…if you insist. But make sure you're home before dinner. Otherwise I'll have to beat ya up."

"Whatever," Ichigo said as he walked out.

He didn't know where he was going. It was as though he was back where he started: lost and afraid. He allowed his feet to go wherever they wanted to and before long he found himself looking into a familiar hole. He was in the park where the Arrancars first showed up. It seemed like years had passed since then.

He didn't know why this particular spot had lured him. He would have thought of places like Urahara's Shop or the school, but not this hole. Ichigo sighed and walked through the cluster of trees until he arrived at the main park area. He sat on the bench and paid no heed to the people walking by or the children laughing as they played on the playground.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" someone asked.

"Huh," Ichigo muttered and looked up.

A thin man wearing a black coat over a blue t-shirt and khaki pants looked at him. His shoulder-length golden-brown hair framed his face. Ichigo noticed that the man held a bag with what looked like a loaf of day-old bread and a book.

"Oh…sure…I'm sorry. I'll just get going," Ichigo said and started getting up.

"Oh…no need," the man said. "Please stay a bit. You look as if you need to talk to someone."

"No, it's alright," Ichigo said, somewhat uncomfortable.

"Oh…don't worry, I won't try anything," he said, laughing a bit. "I just came here to feed the pigeons while my nieces are having fun," he said and pointed to the large cluster of pigeons. "I see that I made it in time for their daily conference," he said smiling. "Have you ever fed the pigeons before?"

"Not since I was a kid," Ichigo said, somewhat taken aback.

"Oh…well, there's no time like the present," he said.

He put his book onto the bench next to him and opened the bag. He took out the wrapped pack of day-old bread. He ripped the packaging from the bread and broke it in half. He held out one half to Ichigo who hesitated before taking it.

"Please, sit down," the man said as he tore off a chunk of bread from his half of the loaf and tossed it at the pigeons.

Ichigo watched as the pigeons gathered around the bread and some even made their way closer to them. He smiled at the memories it brought back. He looked at his loaf of bread and remembered when he and his mother would come to the park or down to river to feed the birds. He sat down as he tore a piece of bread from the loaf and tossed it at the birds.

"So, what brought you here today?"

"I don't really know," Ichigo said. "I guess…I just had a lot on my mind."

"That happens to all of us. I find that when that happens to me, doing something so silly and yet so simple as feeding the birds can be very relaxing."

Ichigo was beginning to become comfortable with this stranger. It was rather odd when he thought about it. He tore off another chunk of bread and broke it into smaller pieces before tossing them at the pigeons. A part of him wanted to thank this stranger and then be on his way, but another part wanted to stay and tell him exactly what was bothering him.

"You know, you never really answered my question," the man said. "What did bring you out here today? I know you don't know me and I don't know you, but I really want to know."

Ichigo looked at the man and saw that he really meant it. That made Ichigo afraid. A part of him wanted to run away or yell at him that it was none of his business. However, another part of him wanted to tell him. He knew that he could talk to Chad or Uryu or his Dad, but he felt that none of them would truly understand what he was going through. However, for some reason he didn't know, he felt that this man would.

"I guess it's because I don't know where I'm going," Ichigo said. "I mean, before I thought I had it figured out, but now…now I feel powerless. I want to be able to protect my friends, but…I just don't know how to do it anymore. The more I want to help them, the more I realize that I'm powerless."

"I see," the man said. "You don't really know what your raison d'être is."

"My what?"

"Your raison d'être," he said. "It's your purpose in life. You thought that you knew what it was, but now you don't because something must have happened that caused you to lose all sense of control. Am I on the right path?"

"Yeah, you are," Ichigo said, shocked.

"You don't have to worry about it," he said. "It happens all of the time. At some point in their lives, everyone feels as though they have no control over their lives. It's part of growing up. But, you have a good idea of what your raison d'être. It's the core raison d'être in all of us: to protect others. However, you can do that in any number of ways. Protection is not just about fighting for them, but it's also about being there when they need a friend. Do you understand?"

"I…I think so," Ichigo said.

"Look, you're allowing your fear to blind you to ways that you can be there for your friends. In the book that I'm reading," he said and showed Ichigo the book. "The author makes a very bold statement. In one of the stories, he writes, 'There was always a minority afraid of something, and a great majority afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of the past, afraid of the present, afraid of themselves and shadows of themselves.' Do you understand what he was saying?"

"Not really," Ichigo said.

"He was saying that everyone is afraid. Our fears are usually based on things that we have no control or very little control over. However, the root of that fear lies within each and every one of us. The external fears are nothing more than manifestations of what we fear about ourselves."

"Sounds like a load of crap," Ichigo said.

The man only laughed at that and smiled. He shrugged.

"Well, that's what I think anyways," he said. "Here, you can keep it," he said and held out the book.

"What, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I have another copy at home and I must have read that one at least a thousand times."

"Thanks," Ichigo said. "By the way, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki," he said and held out his hand.

"I'm Milton Dante," the man said and shook his hand. "I have to warn ya, the book's in English. Can you read English?"

"Yeah, in fact they teach us how to read English alongside Japanese. Since Japan has a lot of relations with the States."

"That's a relief to know. Anyways, I'm sure we'll see each other again, Mr. Kurosaki."

"Yeah, I'm sure we will," Ichigo said.

"Hey, Uncle Milton," a girl shouted.

The two turned and Ichigo saw a young girl, who looked to be about the same age as his sisters, rushing towards Milton. Another girl, who looked to be about Ichigo's age, was coming up behind them. Her eyes went wide when she saw Ichigo and she smiled and waved at him. Ichigo didn't know what he should do and so he just lifted his own hand and gave a little wave in return.

"Did you two have a good time?"

"We did," Harper said as she hugged Milton.

"Was she on her best behavior?" he asked the teen.

"Yeah, Harper was a good girl," the teen said.

"Does this mean we can get ice cream?" the girl asked.

"I don't see why not," Milton said.

"Oh, Harper, Emily, this young man is Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo, I would like to introduce you to my two nieces. The blossoming young woman you see her is Emily," he said, gesturing to the teen who blushed. "This other beautiful young lady is Harper. Now, please say hello to Mr. Kurosaki."

"Hello," Harper said a bit shyly.

"Hey," Emily said, getting close to Ichigo as if examining him.

"Emily, please back away. You're making Mr. Kurosaki a bit nervous," Milton said, chuckling.

"So, where do you go to school at?" Emily asked.

"I go to Karakura High School."

Emily looked at Milton who looked at Ichigo.

"My, that's an odd coincidence," he said. "Emily will be starting classes at Karakura High School next week and Harper will be starting courses at Karakura Middle School."

"Really, that's where my sisters go," Ichigo said. "You might meet them. Their names are Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki. I'm sure that they would enjoy meeting you."

"Did you hear that, Harper?" Milton asked as Harper looked at him smiling. "You see, I told you it wouldn't be so scary and that you would make some new friends. Well, Mr. Kurosaki, it was nice to meet you, but we should get back before my sister and her husband start worrying."

"Alright, thanks Mr. Dante," Ichigo said.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Kurosaki," Milton said as he and the two girls left.

Ichigo sighed and looked at the book that Milton gave him: _The Martian Chronicles_ by Ray Bradbury.

As soon as they were far enough to where Ichigo couldn't see them, Milton stopped and turned his head to look over his shoulder. He frowned slightly and then looked at the two girls.

"Tell me," he said. "Did you feel his Reiatsu?"

"Yeah," Emily said. "It was like the Soul Reapers', but not quite the same."

"He didn't seem scary," Harper said.

"I know, and he didn't show any sign of feeling our Reiatsu. However, we have to be careful. Harper, I have a very important assignment for you."

"What is it?"

"When you start school, I want you to stay close to Ichigo's sisters. See if they have the same kind of Reiatsu that Ichigo has and report back to me. Can you do that?"

"Sure, but…"

"Don't worry, if they invite you over for something like a sleep-over you may go. I won't forbid you to have a social life, but I would like you to be careful though."

"Thanks, Uncle Milton," she said, hugging him.

"What about us?" Emily asked.

"We'll be in a position to where we can monitor Mr. Kurosaki and his friends," Milton said. "I'll also have Howard come in to pose as my brother-in-law from time-to-time. That way we can get accurate data."

"I just hope that they don't pose too much of a threat," Emily said. "It would be a pity to have to get rid of him."

"I know," Milton said. "But we have to be careful. Right now, I don't think that young man has any idea of what's going on. I hope that it remains that way."

_**Under Urahara's Shop**_

"WOW! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE SUCH A HUGE TRAINING GROUND RIGHT UNDER MY STORE?" Urahara shouted.

"I must say, I find myself…puzzled," Ulquiorra said as he looked around him.

"Uh…how did you make such a space under your shop without anyone noticing?" Starrk asked

"That's the boss's little secret," Tessai said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"WOW! THIS IS SO COOL!" Lilynette shouted.

"Oh…thank you young miss," Tessai said, beginning to cry. "It's nice to know that my work is appreciated."

"So much for 'boss's little secret'," Harribel said, knowing full well that Tessai was once head of the Kido Corps.

"Alright," Urahara said as he flipped open his fan. "Enough of that, let's get down to the business at hand. I've received instructions from Old Man Yama and I'm not about to disobey them. You four will be staying here and you will be training. However, we'll start your training tomorrow since I'm expecting someone else coming here very soon."

"Is it Aunt Nel?" Lilynette asked, excited.

"Nope, I'm afraid it's not her. Why did you ask?" Urahara asked.

"Well, we heard rumors that Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, the former Third Espada, would be allowed into the Soul Society," Starrk said.

"Oh, yes, that's right," Urahara said. "But, she'll have to take courses at the Academy before she's allowed to go on any missions."

"So who're you expecting?" Lilynette asked.

"Someone from International Soul Reaper Research Center," Kisuke said. "I asked for them to send someone to consult with us on the matter at hand. They should be arriving…" he said and raised one finger. "…any…" he lifted the finger higher. "…moment…NOW," he dropped the finger as they heard a loud crashing sound coming nearby.

They turned and saw that a large pile of training gear tumble over and a huge cloud of dust rose into the air. They could barely make out a figure getting up. As the dust cleared they saw a young woman in her mid-twenties standing. She wore a pair of small-rimmed purple-framed glasses and a long white lab coat over a violet dress shirt and a knee-long dark purple skirt that showed off her lovely figure. Her short blond hair stuck up in places while a strand that was dyed purple hung out in front of her face. She wore a silver charm bracelet on her right wrist that had a single charm dangling from it: a gold tiger.

"Ouch…that hurt," she said and winced a little.

"Ah, you must be Dr. Flower," Kisuke said, grinning.

"Actually, it's Dr. Fleur," she said. "You must be Kiss-key You're-a-hottie? Did I pronounce it right?"

"You sure did," Kisuke said, smiling even wider. "And thank you, I think you're a hottie as well."

"He better hope that Yoruichi didn't hear that," Harribel whispered to Starrk. "Otherwise she might send Sui-Feng to kick his ass."

Starrk nodded in agreement. Dr. Fleur however only looked puzzled. Ulquiorra found himself thinking that her eyes had the glazed look of a complete airhead. He thought that it would have been better if someone else had been sent.

"So, these must be some of the former Arrancar you mentioned," Dr. Fleur said.

"They are," Kisuke said. "The little girl is Lilynette."

"Hey, who are you calling 'little' Bucket-head?"

"Lilynette, don't be rude to our host," Starrk said. "Sorry about that, she can be a handful sometimes."

"Oh…it's alright…uh…"

"Starrk," he said and held out his hand.

"Starrk," Dr. Fleur said and shook his hand.

"I'm Tia Harribel…and you better think twice before you even think about hitting on him," she whispered.

"Oh…don't worry. I already have a girlfriend," Dr. Fleur said, smiling as she eyed Harribel. "Hmm, too bad…you have a very lovely figure."

"Uh…okay…awkward," Harribel said, her eyes wide.

"Ha ha, I'm just joking," Dr. Fleur said, laughing. "Sorry, I always do that whenever I meet someone's jealous girlfriend. It's a bad habit I picked up at school."

"This is most interesting," Ulquiorra said. "It would seem that I still have much to learn about such customs."

"Oh…who's the Emo?"

"What do you mean by 'Emo'? I am not familiar with the term," Ulquiorra said.

"It's a term that people use to describe someone who is depressed. I don't know why since it was originally used for punk-rock bands in the mid-1980s and stood for 'emotional hardcore'," Tessai said.

"Huh…funny how time changes things," Dr. Fleur said sounding like a complete airhead.

"Hmm, fascinating," Ulquiorra said.

"Anyways…" Urahara said. "This is Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Samantha Beatrice Fleur and I represent the Alchemical Division in the ISRRC."

"Dr. Fleur was sent because she's a specialist in a very obscure branch of Alchemical Research," Kisuke said.

"Actually, it's more of a taboo topic for all of us in the ISRRC. The only reason they sent me was because I was the only one who would go on-and-on about it. Based on the information that Kisuke sent us, they pretty much agreed that this is a case of…" she stopped and swallowed; all traces of the airhead gone.

"Well, go on," Urahara said.

"They reached the conclusion that this is a case of Spiritual Evolution."

"What...what's 'Spiritual Evolution'?" Lilynette asked.

"Spiritual Evolution," Dr. Fleur said, "is when a soul reaches a new level of potential. Normally there are two types of Spiritual Evolution that is within the limits of maintaining the Balance between this world and the Spiritual Worlds: either entering one of the Soul Societies or becoming a Hollow. However, there is a third type of Spiritual Evolution that defies the Balance."

"What is this third type?" Ulquiorra asked.

"This is where the spirit evolves in the World of the Living by either devouring a Hollow or a Soul Reaper. When this occurs, normally the Spirit breaks apart because it can't handle the strain of the Reiatsu that it's consumed. Now, what I'm about to tell you is just a theory that has been formed based on past incidents where this happened.

"Those who study Spiritual Evolution theorize that on rare occasions, the Reiatsu of the spirit will rejoin itself and gain powers to rival those of Hollows and Soul Reapers. As a result, they cannot be devoured by a Hollow or cleansed by a Soul Reaper because their very Reiatsu will not allow it to happen. The spiritual atmosphere in any area where at least ten of them who are fully developed gathers can become the equivalent of the pressure at the bottom of the ocean. As a result, those who have any traces of spiritual abilities will die and the area itself…is destroyed."

"It would be the same as if Aizen had succeeded in creating the Oken," Urahara said.

"Yes," Dr. Fleur said. "However, while the creation of the Oken would only affect the area, the affects of the Spiritually Evolved is much…much more devastating. Instead of merely destroying the area, it will cause a ripple-effect that will spread throughout the World of the Living and the Spiritual Worlds. We're fortunate that the Reiatsu that was discovered was not fully developed, however, if we don't act soon…

"Let's just say that their very existence is a threat to the Balance."

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

"This sucks," Grimmjow moaned as he and the rest of the former Arrancars made their way down the hall.

"No shit," Nnoitora groaned. "We already know how to kill a fucking Gillian."

"The way the instructor went on-and-on-and-on, really reminded me of some of Aizen's Assemblies," Nirgge said.

"EXACTA!" Findor exclaimed.

"Lady Harribel's lucky that she doesn't have to go through this anymore," Apacci said. "That had to be one of the most boring classes ever."

As they walked down the hall they saw a familiar face approaching them.

"GGIO, did they let you out already?" Mila Rose asked.

"Yeah, but I had to go through some serious therapy before Unohana allowed me to be discharged. She said that as long as I don't see a horde of fan girls coming at me, then I should be alright," Ggio said.

"It's good to have you back, Ggio, darlin'," Cuuhlhourne said and gave Ggio a hug.

"AAAAAGH! CUUHLHOURNE, LET ME GO!"

"Oh Ggio, did I hug you too tight? Did I reopen old wounds?"

"No, it's just that you're freaking me out."

"EXACTA!"

"Hey Apacci, I've been wondering about something," Ggio said. "How come you didn't feed Findor to those fan girls? I mean he and Avirama have gotten plenty of looks, so why did you choose me?"

"Because," Mila Rose said. "By the time Mistress Harribel gave the order to feed somebody to those fan girls, Avirama and Findor already ran for cover. You were the only one available."

"WHAT? Findor, you and Avirama ran?"

"EXACTA!"

"Hey, I may not be afraid of Shinigami, but I sure am hell of afraid of rabid fan girls," Avirama said. "Only an idiot would think that they didn't need to be afraid of that crowd."

"EXACTA! Besides, it's your fault for not realizing what was about to happen."

"Oh shut up, Lobster Boy," Ggio moaned.

"Now now, no fighting you two," Sung-Sun said. "We need to get to our next class."

"Yeah, and Nnoitora and I need to get down to the practice yard," Grimmjow said as he and Nnoitora separated from the rest of the group.

"Shit, we have to practice that fucking Kido again, don't we?"

"Damn right, now stop complaining. If we improve quickly then we can join in whatever fun that Ulquiorra and the others are having."

"Good point," Nnoitora said, grinning. "They did mention something about problems in the World of the Living."

"There you go. They're having fun while we're stuck with classes. I say that we start kicking ass in Kido. That way we can join in the fun before it's over," Grimmjow said.

"Ya know, as much as I hate to say it…FUCKIN'-A, let's do it," Nnoitora said and laughed. "We'll show these pussies that we're not a couple of push-overs, well…at least I'M not."

"Are you trying to start a fight, Twiggy?"

"Aw, did I hu't the poo' widdle Gwim-Kitty's feewings?"

"That's it, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you," Grimmjow snarled.

"Well, I see that you two are getting along…as usual," someone said.

"That…that voice," Nnoitora said, his eyes grew wider.

"It…it can't be," Grimmjow muttered.

The two turned their heads and saw a woman with familiar long green hair and a red mark across the bridge of her nose. She wore a girl's academy uniform, but the kosode was slightly tight in the area of the chest, although not as tight as it had been on Harribel.

"Hey guys, it's good to see you again," she said, waving at them.

"NEL!" Nnoitora and Grimmjow shouted at the same time.

_**Urahara Shop**_

"So…these are our Gigais?" Starrk asked as he looked at the four empty bodies that were leaned against the wall.

"What's with the uniforms?" Lilynette asked.

"Well…for starters, these are your uniforms," Kisuke said, grinning. "The uniforms are there because starting tomorrow, you'll all be students. Starrk, Harribel, and Ulquiorra will be students at Karakura High School. However, I think that it would be best if Ulquiorra doesn't start for another couple of days. So tomorrow, Starrk and Harribel will become students. Lilynette, you'll be a student at Karakura Middle School, which is right next door."

"I do not understand," Ulquiorra said. "Why do we have to be students? I would think that we would look too old to be High School students."

"Because, that's what Hitsugaya's advanced team posed as when they came here and they'll be doing the same this time around," Kisuke said. "Also, it makes it easier for ya to keep an eye on Ichigo and his buddies."

"Plus, Kiss-key here didn't know what else you could pose as," Dr. Fleur said as she dragged her own Gigai out of one of her suitcases. "Man this thing was a hassle trying to smuggle through Customs," she said.

"Wait, weren't you wearing your Gigai when you went through Customs?" Starrk asked.

"Oh, well…yeah…but…this is my back-up Gigai. I…uh…I have a tendency of losing at least one per trip," she said and gave a nervous laugh.

"This woman is too much like Orihime," Ulquiorra muttered. "Why did she even need to take an airplane to travel when she could have just traveled here by using the Senkaimon?"

"Let's hope that she has better taste buds," Starrk said. "In case she decides to cook something for us."

"KISUKE!" Harribel shrieked.

"What is it, my dear?" Urahara said, only to meet with Harribel's fist. Starrk and Ulquiorra winced as the fist made contact.

"Why…the Hell…is my uniform…SO LOW CUT?" she shouted.

"Ouch," Urahara said, clutching his nose.

"Oh boy," Starrk said.

"I would have thought that she would be used to showing that much skin," Ulquiorra said.

"What did you say?" Harribel asked, glaring at Ulquiorra.

"I only meant that when you went into your Resurrección, you showed off much more skin than that," Ulquiorra continued in his monotone voice.

"That's not the point," Harribel said. "The point is that all of the teenage pervs will be STARING AT ME if I wear that thing."

"Bel," Starrk said. "I'm sure that it won't be that bad. Besides, if any pervy kid tries to make a move on you, I'll be sure to knock them into next week for you. Also, I think that uniform will look really great on you."

"Starrkey," Harribel said, smiling and blushed.

"Aw, how romantic," Dr. Fleur said looking as if she would just melt into a puddle.

"This is most unusual and yet very intriguing," Ulquiorra said. "I must research this 'romantic' thing a bit further."

"Uh…excuse me," a soft voice came from beside them.

They turned and saw a little girl with her black hair in pig tails. When Harribel looked at her she couldn't help but notice that her large eyes had a sleepy look to them. That look reminded her a little bit of Starrk whenever they had to go to one of Aizen's meetings. Next to her stood a red-haired boy who was about her height and Harribel thought that the expression on his face was similar to one that Grimmjow would wear.

"Ah, Jinta, Ururu," Urahara said. "I take it that the new shipment of soul candy arrived."

"Yeah, it did," Jinta said and looked at the former Espada. "So…these are the newbies that the Soul Society sent over?"

"Yeah, they are," Urahara said, grinning. "Ururu, what do you think?"

Ururu got closer to the former Arrancar and looked at them in turn. She got closer to Lilynette who only smiled at her. Ururu's expression didn't change for a while and then she burst into a sunny grin.

"I like them," she said. "Especially her," she pointed at Lilynette who was beaming.

"I thought you would," Urahara said, grinning. "Now, they need to get some sleep, because tomorrow they officially begin their assignment and training."

_**Inner World**_

Ichigo felt himself falling through water. For the first time since he learned how to do the Final Getsuga Tensho, he was back in his inner world. But this world was a land of ruin and decay. Everything was covered with water, but he could see how the buildings, which once stood tall, were now piles of rubble. The glass of the windows were broken and gleamed in the dim light that reached them.

"What…what happened?" Ichigo asked, feeling grief and terror fill him.

"That should be fairly obvious," a voice, which sounded like nails grating on a chalk board, said.

"No…no…not…not you," Ichigo moaned as he turned to his Inner Self.

"I see," White Ichigo said, licking his ice-blue lips with his black tongue. "So, you're still afraid of me. Why should you be?"

"Where's Zangetsu?" Ichigo asked, not wanting to answer him.

"Oh, Zangetsu's not here at the moment. Would you like for me to leave a message?" his Inner Hollow asked and burst out laughing. "Fool, Zangetsu's not in control here anymore. Oh sure, he comes back every now-and-again, but he's not as strong as he used to be. In fact, he's fading away. But I…I'm always solid here."

"How is that possible?"

"Because, this is MY WORLD!" the creature shrieked. "I warned you that if you ever showed signs of weakness then I would devour you. YOU SHOWED WEAKNESS, ICHIGO KUROSAKI! You allowed that weakling to kill you and you allowed me to take over. All of this was mine, and it would still be mine if that weakling hadn't attacked you from behind and caused me to lose control."

"This world was never yours," Ichigo said, but he knew that wasn't the truth.

"Mark my words, Ichigo," the creature said, his black and yellow eyes glittered with malice. "I am you and you are me. I AM THE KING…and you are my steed. I will never submit myself to you again if you continue to make yourself weak. If you ever regain your power and yet are not strong enough to wield them, then I will trample you to the dust and take them from you. However, if you prove yourself strong enough to tame me, then I will have to relent. But, until then…GET OUT OF MY DOMAIN!"

Ichigo felt himself being pulled back by some great force. He screamed as he felt the force crush him.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Rukia rushed out of the closet when she heard Ichigo scream. She saw Ichigo on the ground, his body covered in sweat. He was trying to make his way to the bathroom, but he couldn't make it. He vomited before he even reached his door. Tears streamed from his tightly shut eyes and his face was filled with agony.

"Helpless…I'm so…I'm so fucking helpless," he moaned as though half-asleep.

Rukia looked at him, her eyes wide in shock and horror. She had never seen Ichigo like this before.

Footsteps came from outside and Isshin rushed in. He looked at Rukia and then at Ichigo's shivering figure as he lay in vomit.

"He'll be fine in the morning," Isshin said as he lifted his son from the floor. "Rukia, I want you to perform a Kido healing spell on him after I clean him up."

"Alright," Rukia said. "Mr. Kurosaki, what…what happened?"

"He had a nightmare," Isshin said. "That's all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Come morning, he'll be up and about and able to go to school. But for now, he just needs to get cleaned up. After I clean him up, I'll clean up that mess. Oh and Rukia…"

"Yes?"

"Don't mention this to anyone, especially to Yuzu and Karin. Understand?"

"I understand, Mr. Kurosaki."

"Thanks," Isshin said and left the room.

Rukia looked out and watched as Isshin carried his son to the bathroom. She could hear the sound of running water and Isshin humming a lullaby to his son. She turned and looked at the puddle of vomit on the floor. She sighed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She took one of the large mixing bowls and filled it with hot water and soap and she took a roll of paper towels from the pantry. As she returned upstairs, she felt her heart ache for Ichigo. She never saw him in that much pain and suffering before.

"Rukia, what's going on?" Yuzu asked from her doorway. She was clutching an all-too familiar stuffed lion to her. While Yuzu called it "Bostov", Ichigo and Rukia knew the thing as Kon. Kon looked at Rukia and then looked up at Yuzu.

"It's fine," Rukia said, trying to put on her best smile. "Ichigo just couldn't sleep and he had to take a bath and I spilled some juice."

"Are you sure everything's fine?" Yuzu asked.

"I'm sure. Now, go back to sleep, Little One," she said.

"Okay," Yuzu said as she shut the door to her room.

Rukia went back into Ichigo's room and looked at the vomit. As she got on her knees and began cleaning it, she began to cry.

_**Karakura High School, the Next Morning**_

"So…this is it," Starrk said as he looked at Karakura High School.

"Yeah," Harribel said as she pulled up her school vest to try to hide more of her bosom. "I wonder why he thought it best if Ulquiorra didn't start classes for another couple of days."

"I think it's because he had more contact with Ichigo and his friends than either of you," Dr. Fleur said, adjusting her uniform to show off more of her bosom. "Too bad it's not in purple," she moaned.

"What's with you and purple?" Harribel asked.

"Purple's the best color," Dr. Fleur said as though it should have been obvious.

"Wait, why are you here?" Starrk asked.

"Oh…I don't know," Dr. Fleur said and gave a sly wink.

"Wonderful," Harribel sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."

They went inside and saw a flight of stairs that led to the upper levels. Starrk looked at the slip of paper that had their class number on it and then at the flight of stairs. He shrugged and started to walk up with Harribel and Dr. Fleur behind him. As they made their way up the flight of steps, Dr. Fleur's clumsiness decided to take over and she went sprawling on the steps. Her school bag still clutched in her hand.

"Owee," she moaned as she got up and began to rub her chest. "That really hurt," she pouted.

She leapt off the ground as though and beamed. Starrk and Harribel looked at each other and shrugged as they made their way into the school. Dr. Fleur rushed up the rest of the stairs and skipped into the hall.

Starrk and Harribel were amazed how whenever she talked about Spiritual Evolution, Dr. Fleur sounded like a professional and intelligent expert. However, on everything else she sounded like a complete space cadet. This contradiction of personalities made them even more uncertain about her.

"Let's see here, we're supposed to go to class 1-3," Starrk said.

As they continued to walk down the hall, the other students in the hall looked at them. There were a rather large number of boy students walking into opened lockers as they stared at Harribel and Dr. Fleur. Some of the girls giggled among themselves and stared at Starrk.

"This will never work," Harribel said. "We don't look anything like High School students."

"I thought that Kiss-key said that he made sure that your Gigais looked like High School students?" Dr. Fleur said.

"Well it worked with Rangiku and Ikkaku and Yumichika and Renji," Starrk whispered, remembering the videos that Urahara showed them of Hitsugaya's advanced team in their Gigais. "If those four could get away with it, then maybe we could."

"WOW, they're all looking at us," Dr. Fleur said, grinning. "We must be like celebrities or something."

"Oh boy," Starrk said as he rubbed his head while Harribel rolled his eyes.

The bell rang and the students in the hall rushed to their classrooms. The three looked around, trying to figure out where they were supposed to go. However, they didn't know to look at the plaques above the doors.

"Well…what do we do now?" Starrk asked.

"Hey!" someone shouted from behind them, causing them to jump. "You must be three of the new students, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Coyote Starrk and the other two are Tia Harribel and Samantha Fleur," Starrk said.

"Hmm, then I guess that Ulquiorra Schiffer must be ill. Oh well, hopefully he won't be ill too long. I'm Miss Misato Ochi, and I'll be your teacher," she said grinning. "Oh…a piece of advice: most of the boys are a bunch of troublemakers and nice girls like you," she said as she put an arm around Harribel and Dr. Fleur, "should stay clear of them. Understand?"

"Uh…sure," Harribel said, a bit stunned.

"I got it," Dr. Fleur said. "After all, most boys are a bunch of creepy perverts anyways. But I guess that's what adds to their charm."

"You got that right," Miss Ochi said, laughing. "As for you…" she said and turned to Starrk. "You seem like a nice enough young man, but…if you cause me any trouble…"

"Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble," Starrk said. "I would rather stay out of trouble."

"Good boy," she said and patted his head as if he was some kind of dog.

Harribel giggled and Starrk glared at her, but that only made her giggle even more.

"I don't get it," Dr. Fleur said. "What's the joke?"

"I'll…I'll tell you later," Harribel said, finally suppressing her giggles.

"Alright, just follow me," Miss Ochi said and they entered the classroom.

In the classroom, Ichigo looked out the window. He knew that something must have happened last night, but neither his dad nor Rukia would tell him exactly what happened; only that he had a bad dream. However, he knew that it was more than just a bad dream. He could only remember…

_"GET OUT OF MY DOMAIN!"_

He shook his head.

_No._

_"I AM THE KING…and you are my steed."_

_No. I'm in control._

_"I told you that if you that if you ever showed signs of weakness, then I would devour you."_

_I'M NOT WEAK!_

"Yes you are," the raspy said from right next to him.

He turned and saw his Hollow self sitting where Rukia usually sat, looking at him.

_This is a dream._

"Oh no, it's no dream," White Ichigo said, grinning. "I'm becoming your reality."

Ichigo closed his eyes and opened them. White Ichigo was no longer sitting next to him. Instead he saw Rukia, who had been talking with Sachiko, look at him. Her eyes were filled with concern for him.

"Ichigo…are you alright?" Rukia asked.

"I…I guess I just dozed off," Ichigo said.

"Alright class, may I have your attention," Miss Ochi said from the front. Everyone focused to her and Ichigo was glad for the interruption. "I want to introduce you to three new students who will be joining our class," she said.

Ichigo took notice at that. The last time they had new students come in was when Toshiro Hitsugaya came just after Ulquiorra and Yammy invaded the World of the Living. He noticed that whenever they got new students, something always seemed to come up and he began to have a bad feeling about it. He heard people whispering to themselves and he looked at the three new students. Two of them were rather attractive girls who looked to be in their older teens or early twenties. The third was a brown haired boy who looked about the same age except for the faded goatee, and Ichigo felt as if he saw him somewhere before.

"Man, I must be really tired," Ichigo muttered, ignoring that feeling of déjà-vu.

"No way, it can't be," Sachiko whispered.

"What is it, do you know them?" Rukia asked.

"First let me introduce Miss Tia Harribel," Miss Ochi said from the front and gestured to the darkly-tanned girl with short blonde hair and sea-green eyes who bowed to them. "This young man is Mr. Coyote Starrk," she continued and gestured to the boy who only yawned as he gave a polite wave. "Finally, Miss Samantha Fleur," she said and the other girl waved wildly to them, her smoky blue eyes glittered from behind her small-framed purple-rimmed glasses. "Now, I would like for you to make them feel welcomed. Mr. Starrk, you can take the seat behind Miss Kuchiki, who is right over there. Miss Harribel, you can take the seat next to Miss Arisawa, over there. Miss Fleur, you can take the seat next to Miss Amaterasu, over there."

As the three made their way to their seats, whispers broke out from the other students. Ichigo noticed that most of the other guys were busy ogling Harribel or Dr. Fleur, which was no big surprise. Keigo looked as if his head could explode and his eyes could fall out at any moment. He could hear bits and pieces of the other students' conversations with each other.

"Did she say that his name was Coyote Starrk? What kind of name is that?" one student asked.

"Oh man, looks like we got a couple of more hotties," another said.

"Yeah, check out the rack on the dark-skinned babe."

"That guy looks kind of cute."

"Oh man, check out his eyes…oh God I could just die in them."

"What's with the goatee, though?"

"Oh boy, it's sure getting' hot in here."

"Oh man, Orihime's gonna have some serious competition in the Best Rack contest."

As soon as Ichigo heard Orihime's name mentioned he suddenly became aware that she wasn't there. Uryu and Chad were present, but not Orihime.

"Hey Tatsuki," he said.

Tatsuki, who was sitting a couple of rows behind him, looked up.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Where's Orihime?"

"When I called her this morning, she said she wasn't feeling too well. I guess she just caught the flu or something," Tatsuki said.

"Oh…is she alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she's fine. She probably finally got a case of food poisoning from her own cooking."

"Well, that wouldn't surprise me one little bit," Ichigo said and turned back.

He saw Starrk coming closer and the feeling of déjà-vu struck him again. Then he took a look at his blue-grey eyes.

_I've seen those eyes before,_ he thought._ Orihime…Las Noches…blue-grey eyes..._

_**Las Noches, Before the Invasion of the Fake Karakura Town**_

_"Woman," Kenpachi said._

_"Uh…yes sir," Orihime said, jumping to her feet._

_"Come and heal my wounds."_

_"Right away," she said and started running towards him._

_She was almost halfway to Kenpachi when the man stood in front of her. Ichigo's eyes went wide in absolute shock. Kenpachi turned around, a slight look of surprise was on his face. The man put a gloved hand on Orihime's shoulder._

_"I'm really sorry to have to do this," he said. "I don't like these kinds of assignments, but I have my orders."_

_Ichigo and Kenpachi charged towards the man, their Zanpakuto ready. The man frowned slightly and looked at Ichigo._

_"Gotta borrow her for a bit," he said and then as Kenpachi and Ichigo swung their swords, the two were gone._

_**Karakura High School, Present**_

"It's…it's you," Ichigo whispered.

Starrk stopped and looked at him. His eyes did not show any sign of surprise. He only sighed and rubbed his head as he sat in the seat behind Rukia. Rukia looked surprised at Ichigo's reaction. She looked at him and then at Starrk.

"I remember you," Ichigo said. "What…what the Hell are you doing here, Arrancar?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo in surprise and then at Starrk. She looked ready to get out of her Gigai and into her Soul Reaper mode if she had to. Harribel and Dr. Fleur looked at what was going on as if they would step-in if they had to.

"Oh boy," Starrk said.

_**Karakura Park**_

Orihime Inoue was not sick.

She felt as though she needed some time to herself. She needed some time to let go of the past. She thought that the best way to do that was to go back where it began. She stood at the edge of the pit where she first saw Ulquiorra and then later on she stood at this exact same spot to be taken to Hueco Mundo.

She heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't turn around. She figured that it was only someone taking a walk, but then she heard the familiar monotone voice speak into the softly blowing breeze.

"Are you scared, Little Girl?"

Her eyes widened, but she didn't turn around.

"I'm not afraid," she whispered.

"Why aren't you afraid?"

"Because my heart is with my friends."

"What is this 'heart' that you speak of? If I tore open your chest, would I see it? If I cracked open your skull, would I see it? Once again, I will ask you. Are you scared, Little Girl?"

She turned around and the tears came into her eyes. Ulquiorra stood there, not as she last saw him. He still had the same emerald-green eyes and turquoise markings like tears below his eyes. His black hair moved with the breeze, but he no longer had the half-helmet mask. He stood before her dressed in black shoes, dark jeans, an emerald-green shirt and a long black coat. His right hand was extended to her.

"I'm not afraid," she said again as she reached out with her own hand.

She half-expected for the vision to fade or for Ulquiorra to crumble into dust to be blown by the wind. However, their hands touched. They both looked at their hands touching each other and then into each other's eyes.

"I see…" Ulquiorra whispered, tears coming into his own eyes. "Now I see…"

"What do you see, Ulquiorra?"

"Your heart was always there…in my hands."

**End of Chapter 4**

**Shinigami Cup:**

**"What are you doing here?" Nnoitora asked.**

**"Well...duh...Nel's going to class," Nel said.**

**"I meant what are you doing here in the Soul Society?"**

**"Oh Nel's here because I was invited. Pesche and Dondochakka are here too."**

**"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "I thought that you only referred to yourself in the third person when you're in your child form; not your adult form."**

**"Nel's confused," she said.**

**"He's wanting to know why you're doing such a stupid thing as refer to yourself in the third person, you stupid bitch."**

**"Nel always refers to Nel this way."**

**"God, this was the main reason why I cracked your mask in the first place," Nnoitora growled.**

**"I thought it was because she was ranked higher than you and a woman," Grimmjow said.**

**"If that was true, then why do you think I never tried it on Harribel?"**

**"Good point," Grimmjow said. "Was it because she showed pity on you and you hate pity?"**

**"That's a good reason, but not the main one. The main one is because whenever she referred to herself as 'Nel', it was FUCKING ANNOYING!"**

**"Are you sure it wasn't because you loved Nel?" Nel asked.**

**Grimmjow looked at Nnoitora who only looked stunned.**

**"Ooh, does the Spoon have a crush on Nel?" Grimmjow asked, smirking.**

**"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Nnoitora shouted.**

**A.N.: Wow, I got done ahead of the deadline and so, this chapter will be up a little ahead of schedule. I'm sorry that it took me a bit longer than I usually aim for with chapter releases, but I got stuck at a certain part and then found a way to get unstuck. A lot has happened in this chapter and much more has yet to happen.**

**I thought that "Arrival" was an appropriate name for this chapters because there are quite a few of them and all of them are important to the story. Here's a quick count of the arrivals:**

**1. Starrk, Lilynette, Harribel, and Ulquiorra arrive in the World of the Living**

**2. Dr. Fleur arrives in the World of the Living**

**3. Nel arrives in the Soul Society**

**4. Ulquiorra arrives back into Orihime's life**

**5. Ichigo arrives to his Inner World, only to find out that...**

**6. White Ichigo arrives back into his Inner World (if he even left)**

**7. Milton Dante arrives into Ichigo's life (yes, their conversation in the park is VERY important in more ways than one)**

**I felt that now was the right time to break Ichigo down a bit further. In the previous chapters, he's been feeling the emotional agony and some of the physical agony. However, after getting White Ichigo involved, he's going to feel an even more painful agony, which I'll get more into in future chapters.**

**Likewise, now that Orihime is reunited with Ulquiorra, it's going to have a variety of affects on her and her friendships. I decided that the right moment was when she was prepared to truly let go of what happened and the place would be the crater in Karakura Park where Ulquiorra and Yammy arrived. Also, I felt it appropriate that they become reunited through the last bit of dialogue that they had with each other and that Ulquiorra could actually tell her what he wanted to. If it turned out too fluffy, I don't really apologize for it. For me, it seemed the best way to reunite them.**

**Also, I noticed while writing it that both Ichigo and Orihime were drawn to that crater for different surface reasons, but the same core reason. Ichigo believes that it was probably some kind of instinct, but Orihime went in order to say "Goodbye" to Ulquiorra. The core reason though is that they both have emotional scars and a crater is essentially a scar in the land, and they both went there to find healing. In a way, they do find healing, but healing never comes easy and it never comes without a cost.**

**As for the former Espada, let's just say that I have much more in store for them.**

**Next actual chapter will include some more significant events, so I better get started. Also, I updated my profile to include some information about Dr. Fleur and the Amaterasu sisters**

**Thank you for reading and please review or comment.**


	6. Character Themes Part 1

**Character Themes (Part 1)**

I find that listening to music helps me in creating characters and that certain songs actually help me in developing those characters. This is Part One of my character themes which will go over those original characters whom I have introduced in the previous chapters.

I'll start with the **Mangiatori:** (Theme for the Group: "Obliviate" by Alexandre Desplat)

**Milton Dante:** "Haunted" by Poe

**Sylvia O'Connor:** "Dark Waltz" by Hayley Westenra

**Howard Machen:** "Spellbound" by Siouxsie & the Banshees

**Emily Dumas:** "Oto no Hana" by Orikasa Fumiko

**Ambrose Stoker:** "Seed of Memory" by Terry Reid

**Charlotte Wolfe:** "Every Day is Exactly the Same" by Nine Inch Nails

**Robert Borges:** "Forever Autumn" by The Moody Blues

**Shirley Wilde:** "New Year's Prayer" by Jeff Buckley

**William Marlowe:** "Dog Eat Dog" by Adam and the Ants

**Harper Bradbury:** "doll" by Aoi Tada

Now for the other original characters:

**Akemi Amaterasu:** "All About Us" by t.A.T.u.

**Sachiko Amaterasu:** "Danzai no Hana" by Riyu Kosaka

**Dr. Fleur:** "Good Thing" by Fine Young Cannibals

Well that's all for Part One of my Character Themes and the next chapter will be up by the deadline I set for myself. If you want to check out what I'm working on right now, the information is available towards the bottom of my Profile. Thank you for reading.

MJLCoyoteStarrk


	7. Chapter 5: Burden of Memory

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 5: Burden of Memory**

_We walk this field of fog_

_Shapes rise before our eyes_

_These images are as light as the fog_

_And we fall beneath their weight_

_This burden of memory_

"What…what the Hell are you doing here, Arrancar?"

"Oh boy," Starrk said.

"Mr. Kurosaki, is there a problem?" Miss Ochi asked.

"Uh…no ma'am," Ichigo said. "I thought I knew one of the new students, but I guess I was thinking of someone else."

"Alright, so long as you don't interrupt my class again."

"Yes ma'am," Ichigo said. "Don't think I'm through with you," Ichigo hissed at Starrk.

"What a pain," Starrk whispered. "Don't worry, we'll explain later."

"You better," Rukia said as she narrowed her eyes.

"Rukia, it's alright," Sachiko said. "If they're with Sam, then they're alright."

"Who?"

"That would be me," Dr. Fleur said. "Don't worry. We'll explain it to you when we have time."

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Harper looked at the grey uniform that was on her bed and at the white shirts and red ties. She felt slightly nervous about starting school in only a couple of days. She heard a knock at the door.

"Uh…come in."

"Hey," Milton said, smiling. "I just wanted to see what you thought of your new uniform."

"It's…alright," Harper said. "But, I think I might need some new underwear."

"When they get back, I'll have either Emily or Charlotte go with you to help get you some underwear. If they're not available, then I'll have Sylvia and Shirley help you," Milton said. "I'm sure that they would know what to look for."

"Big Brother," Harper said.

"You know that you can just call me Milton."

"I know, but…I'm more comfortable with Big Brother."

"Alright," Milton said, chuckling. "What is it?"

"Will I…will I be alright?"

"Of course," Milton said. "Wait, you're not still nervous about being the new kid at school, are you?"

"Yeah, I am," Harper said and lowered her head.

"It's alright. It's something new and it's perfectly natural to feel some anxiety when facing something new."

"Like when I saw that monster?"

"Something like that, but that fear is a much more primordial fear. It's the type of fear that allows us to survive. Most spirits…most spirits just freeze when they see a Hollow and others run away. But you stood your ground and fought. When you stand to fight, that's when you truly evolve."

"I can't remember much about what happened that night."

"I know, but all that you need to know is that you took a great leap forward that night. Compared to facing a Hollow, your first day at school will be nothing, okay?"

"Yeah," Harper said and smiled.

"Good, now, let's hang these up before they get too wrinkly."

_**Karakura Park**_

"Ul…Ulquiorra?" Orihime whispered.

"I understand your surprise," Ulquiorra said. "I am surprised by all of this myself."

"How…how is this possible?"

"I do not understand how this happened. I only understand that it did. Perhaps, like the heart, there are so many things that my eyes cannot see and yet are there."

"You…you understand the heart?"

"I only recognize its existence, but not what it is. Tell me, Orihime, what is the heart?"

"You…you called me by my name," Orihime said and smiled. "That…that's the heart…or at least a part of it."

"I do not understand."

"When we humans talk about the heart, we aren't just talking about the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. We mean the bonds that we share with our friends and those we love and each other. When you said my name…it…it created a bond between us."

"This is interesting. I am glad that I decided to take a walk today."

"So…what've you been up to?"

"Well, I recently became a Soul Reaper with three of my fellow comrades."

"Wait…you're a…a Soul Reaper?"

"That is correct. You will meet some of my comrades later."

"So, why are you here?"

"We are on a mission for the Soul Society. However, I am currently not at liberty to say anything more than that."

"Oh," Orihime said.

"However, it looks as though starting next week, we will be classmates."

_**Karakura High School**_

"So let me get this straight," Ichigo said. "You're from something called the International Soul Reaper Research Center."

"That's right," Dr. Fleur said nodding as she took another bite from her sandwich.

"Those two are former Espada who were purified and sent to the Soul Society and they graduated from the Shino Academy in only two weeks," Ichigo said and pointed to Starrk and Harribel who were talking with Rukia and Sachiko.

Dr. Fleur nodded as she drank out of the can of Coca-Cola.

"And you're here investigating some strange Reiatsu that was found on that dead Hollow a couple of days ago."

"Yes," Dr. Fleur said as she opened the bag of chocolate chip cookies. "Kiss-key sent some of the data over to us and my supervisor sent me over. He should be here in a few days as well with a team if things get a little complicated."

"Huh, I never knew that there were other Soul Societies."

"Well…duh…of course there are. Did you think your Soul Society was the only one?"

"I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Fleur said, waving her hand at him. "Sometimes we forget that we're not the only Soul Society either."

"I still don't feel comfortable with having two former Arrancars in my school."

"Don't worry. Oh…a third former Arrancar will be coming to join us next week."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Well, I wouldn't tell you even if you did," Dr. Fleur said, winking mischievously at him. "I promised Kiss-key that I wouldn't tell."

"Uh…who's Kiss-key?"

"It's just what she calls Kisuke," Starrk said. "Bel and I just finished explaining things with those two," he pointed to where Rukia, Harribel, and Sachiko were busy discussing something else. "Now they're just doing girl talk."

"Ooh, I love Girl Talk," Dr. Fleur said and rushed over to them.

"What just happened?" Ichigo asked.

Starrk only shrugged and rubbed his head as he sat down.

"I figured that you might remember me," he said, "even though it was only once and even then for only a few seconds."

"Yeah, I was surprised that I actually remembered that incident," Ichigo said.

"Anyways, I wanted to apologize for what I did. I would have apologized to the girl, but I didn't see her."

"Orihime's probably sick."

"Well, when I see her, I'll tell her that I'm sorry."

"Didn't you do that when you grabbed her?"

"I know," Starrk said. "Still, I think I should apologize again. I'm Coyote Starrk by the way," he said and held out his hand.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo said and the two shook hands. "I have to admit that I'm rather surprised that we're kind of are on the same side now."

"Things change," Starrk said as he lied back against the tree. "People change too."

"I know," Ichigo said.

_Oh you know alright. You know._

"Shut up," Ichigo growled. Starrk looked at him and was about to ask him what was wrong when someone called out.

"Ah so here you are."

"Oh, hey Tatsuki," Ichigo said, immediately recognizing the voice.

"So tell me, Ichigo, what was that back in the classroom?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, you and him," she said and pointed at Starrk who opened the can of orange juice he got from the vending machine.

"Oh…that…I…uh…I thought I recognized him."

"Oh my," Chizuru said as she saw Harribel and Dr. Fleur. "They're so gorgeous. I must say 'Hi' to them."

Chizuru was about to rush off when Tatsuki grabbed her by the collar.

"Oh no, you don't," Tatsuki said.

"Aw, but Hime's not here for me to hug and love," Chizuru said. "Plus, those two…"

"God, Chizuru, you're worse than a bitch in heat," Tatsuki said. "Besides, I bet they're already taken and wouldn't be interested."

"Fine," Chizuru said pouting. "But I guess...," she said and turned to Tatsuki.

Tatsuki only hit her on the head and Chizuru landed to the ground.

"Don't even think about it," Tatsuki said gritting her teeth.

"Uh…what's wrong with her?" Starrk asked and pointed to Chizuru.

"Oh she's just being a dumbass as usual. Honestly, she thinks that she can hit on every girl she sees."

"Oh boy, I better not let Nnoitora know about that," Starrk said. "He was bad enough with those kinds of things on the internet. If he actually saw it in real life…" he shuddered at the thought.

_**Soul Reaper Academy**_

"So, they're on a mission?" Nel asked.

"That's right," Grimmjow said.

"And now we're trying to hurry our curriculum," Nnoitora said.

"Damn right," Grimmjow said. "We don't want them to get all of the fun."

"Hmm, did they say anything about what it was?"

"Well," Grimmjow said thinking. "They said something about some strange Reiatsu that was found on a Hollow's corpse, or something like that."

"Wait…did you say a Hollow's corpse?" Nel asked her eyes were wide.

"That's what he said, bitch. Are ya deaf?" Nnoitora snarled.

"Where was this corpse found?"

"Is it important?" Grimmjow asked.

"Yes it is. Now tell me where the corpse was found," Nel said.

"Fine…it was found in the World of the Living," Grimmjow said. "Although that shouldn't be possible since they usually dissolve after they die."

"Nel…Nel needs to talk with the Captain-Commander," Nel said, getting up.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nnoitora growled.

"Nel remembers something from her time as an Espada," she said.

"What is it?" Grimmjow asked.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later," Nel said and rushed away.

"What's up with her?" Grimmjow asked.

"Who cares?" Nnoitora growled.

_**Inoue Residence**_

"Hello Big Brother," Orihime said as she knelt before the picture of Sora. "Did you have a good day? I had a good day. Do you remember me telling you about Ulquiorra?"

Orihime looked down at her lap and her hands tightened on her dress. Seeing Ulquiorra alive again caused an inner turmoil. It was a sensation that was mostly unfamiliar to her. A part of her felt as though she was drowning in a stormy sea and another part felt as though she was causing the storm. She closed her eyes and could see herself struggling to hang on, but a great weight was dragging her under and as she looked up she saw herself glaring down at her and commanding the storm to drown her completely as her other self continually dropped weights on her to make her sink.

"No," she whispered. "Big Brother, help me. I…I need you here."

Then the image vanished and Orihime looked at the photo. She grabbed hold of it and clutched it close to her.

"I know you can't really help me. You're just a photo…a mere memory, but…"

_But what Baby Sis?_

"But…it feels good to just talk to you."

_What about Tatsuki?_

"I know, but…but she wouldn't understand."

_Wouldn't she?_

"I guess, but…but what am I to do? A part of me still loves Ichigo, but another part loves Ulquiorra. I…I just don't know what to do."

_You're entering that phase of life where you need to discover what you want. You're dealing with some exciting and difficult emotions and you're doing your best to come to terms with them. You're not taking the easy road by lashing out at someone or running away from them. Instead, you're confronting them head-on and trying to accept them…because…you're a good person…Baby Sis._

"Do…do you really think so?"

_Of course I do, silly. I'm your Big Brother after all._

"Thank you, Big Brother," Orihime said and smiled as the tears fell to the floor like rain.

_**Seireitei**_

"I just don't get her," Grimmjow said. "One moment she's being her usual self and the next she's flying off the handle and getting all serious."

"Why do you care?" Nnoitora asked. "It's not like you're a fucking pussy…oh…that's right…YOU ARE A PUSSY!"

"For the last time, I'M A PANTHER! I'm not some fucking cat," Grimmjow said. "For your information, I…I don't have any feelings for Nel."

"You paused."

"What?"

"You paused. That means that you DO have feelings for Nel," Nnoitora said and his grin became even wider.

"You're delusional."

"Oh…I don't think so. That would explain why you started your li'l vendetta against me after I got rid of her."

"Oh shut up. If that's the case, then how come I didn't recognize her when she came back to Hueco Mundo?"

"Well…she was a li'l kid then. Would you seriously recognize her as a kid?"

"Oh shut up and go polish your teeth or something. I really don't want to deal with you right now."

"Too bad, 'cause I decided that I'm gonna have my fun with you."

"Hate to disappoint ya, but…I don't go that way."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"Really, 'cause it sure as Hell sounded as though you meant it that way."

"Fuck you," Nnoitora said.

Just then a Hell Butterfly was coming towards them. Grimmjow turned to Nnoitora, who only grinned and crossed his arms.

"Fuck," Grimmjow muttered and held out his hand and let the Hell Butterfly land.

"Grimmjow and Nnoitora," Yamamoto's voice called out. "You are to come to the Squad 1 Barracks immediately. Captain Zaraki shall escort you."

Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked at each other and grinned.

"Fuck yeah," Grimmjow said grinning.

"Hey, maybe we can still join in the fun after all," Nnoitora said also grinning.

_**Karakura High School**_

"Alright class," Miss Ochi said as she hammered the desk with her clipboard, "settle down."

Ichigo only looked out the window thinking about what Dr. Fleur told him. It was just too much for him to take in at one go. He knew that he would have to talk with Urahara about it. He then realized that he had a lot to ask Urahara, but every time he thought about asking, he would always shrug it off.

"Do I have your attention? Yes? Good. Now, I know that many of you are excited about beginning our course in Western Literature next week, but I have some news. I'll be going on vacation for a while, and you will be taught by a substitute teacher."

The other students began to murmur among themselves. Miss Ochi looked at them and sighed as she brought her clipboard down hard on the desk. The noise caused them all to fall silent.

"Now, I know that you'll miss me and I'll miss you, but I think that you'll enjoy the substitute teacher I found for you. In fact, I was fortunate enough that he agreed to come here to introduce himself to all of you little brats. I must tell you that he is originally from the States and his Japanese is a bit shaky. Anyways, I'll go get him."

When Miss Ochi left the room, the class began to talk among themselves.

"Did she say that the Substitute's from the States?"

"Wow, that's so cool! I wonder if they met any celebrities."

"Wow, we're going to be taught by someone from the STATES!" Sachiko said to Rukia.

"Yeah," Rukia said. "Hey, you're from the States, right Dr. Fleur?"

"That's right," Dr. Fleur said, grinning. "It will be nice to talk with someone from the States again."

At that moment, the door reopened and Miss Ochi walked in.

"Alright class, now I want you all to stand and show respect to your substitute teacher. You may come in now."

The class bowed their heads.

"Welcome to our class," they said in unison.

"Thank you," the substitute teacher said and Ichigo's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

He turned and saw Starrk looking at Harribel. Rukia was looking at Sachiko, whose eyes were wide. Dr. Fleur, however, only looked forward and her eyes were narrowed and her brow furrowed in thought. Ichigo looked up and saw two familiar people standing at the front.

"I'll be your Substitute Teacher for a while," the man said, smiling at them. "My name is Milton Dante, and this lovely young lady next to me is my niece, Emily. I hope that we'll get along during our time together."

_**Squad 11 Barracks**_

"HELL YEAH!" Grimmjow shouted as he looked at his new uniform.

He was wearing a traditional black hakama. However, instead of the traditional shitagi and kosode, he received a sleeveless vest that reached down to his waist with a silver panther on either breast that appeared to be snarling at each other. The golden buttons that ran down it seemed to glitter and each showed a snarling panther's head. His sword, Pantera, was tucked under the cream-colored sash that was fastened with a silver brooch of a snarling panther prepared to pounce under a crescent moon. He made sure to keep the vest open to show off his abs.

"Well, you seem to be enjoying your new clothes," Nnoitora sneered.

"Oh shut up, I bet they gave you a big fucking hood to make you look like a spoon," Grimmjow said and turned around.

Nnoitora leaned against the door. He was dressed in a pair of black pants that were tucked into an all-too familiar pair of boots. He also wore a crimson jerkin with gold buttons that looked like grinning skulls. His sword, Santa Teresa, was tucked under a deep, blood-red sash with a silver clasp that looked like a skull with a crown of roses on its head.

"They found your boots?"

"FUCK YEAH! I thought I would never see these babies again."

"It looks better than that fucking spoon uniform you got, but not as bad-ass as mine."

"Yeah right!" Nnoitora said and burst out laughing. "You're covered in kittens!"

"They're PANTHERS!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Ah, I thought I heard a loud noise coming from here," someone said.

Grimmjow stopped and his eyes widened. He turned and saw his former fraccion standing in the doorway, wearing more traditional Soul Reaper uniforms. Shawlong stood at the front-and-center, his usual place. His hands were folded behind his back and he still had that stuck-up look that Grimmjow found irritating at times.

"Shawlong? Nakeem? Yylfordt? Di Roy? Edorad? What are you guys doing here?" Grimmjow asked.

"What'sh it look like?" Di Roy asked. "We're fuckin' Shoul Reapersh."

"When did that happen?" Grimmjow asked.

"Only three weeks after we started courses at the Academy," Shawlong said.

"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "It took me and Nnoitora FOUR weeks to graduate and you all graduated in only THREE?"

"Uh…yeah," Nakeem said.

"Even Di Roy?"

"Even Di Roy," Yylfordt said. "Now, where's my Baby Bro? I need to teach him something about using me as one of his experiments."

"That's…THAT'S FUCKED UP!" Grimmjow shrieked.

"Tell me about it," Yylfordt said.

_**Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Office**_

"Chojiro has informed me that you have information concerning what's been going on in the World of the Living," Yamamoto said.

"Yes sir," Nel said.

"Please explain."

"You see, sir, while I was an Espada, we heard rumors of an area in Europe where Hollows feared to go. Aizen was curious about it and so he sent a team of Arrancars to investigate and they found traces of an odd Reiatsu on a Hollow corpse that they found."

"Hmm, go on."

"Well, I don't know if it's related, but when I heard that you found a Hollow's corpse with strange Reiatsu on it, I thought that it might be the same."

"Do you know anything else?"

"I only know that Aizen got some samples and some information, but he never shared that with the rest of us."

"How did you come by this information?"

"I overheard Aizen and Gin talking about it, but I never heard him discuss it with anyone else."

"I see," Yamamoto said. "Did he inform his scientist about it?"

"Szayel Aporro? I don't know. Szayel Aporro did not become an Arrancar until shortly after that mission. All of the Arrancars who were involved with either the mission or the experimentation died. I suppose that the only one left who knows anything would be Aizen."

"Thank you for giving me this information," Yamamoto said.

"Do you think it might have something to do with what's been going on?"

"It's hard to say. The only way to know for sure is if I go talk with Aizen and we get that information. It might prove to be valuable or it might be nothing at all. You may leave, Miss Odelschwank."

"Thank you sir," Nel said and bowed before leaving the office.

Yamamoto sat in thought. From what he just heard, something similar happened before and Aizen investigated it. He didn't know whether or not the United European Reapers Guild knew about it and he didn't know who to contact to find out. It was frustrating when dealing with the foreign Soul Reapers, but at least those from the Democratic Soul Society had some cohesive structure. However, their bureaucratic methods would make dealing with them rather difficult.

Yamamoto sighed when he saw that his best chance of getting that information was to talk to Aizen.

_**Karakura High School**_

"So, he's the Substitute Teacher?" Ichigo muttered.

"What are you muttering about?" Rukia asked him.

They were walking down the hall to leave. Ichigo saw that Dr. Fleur, Starrk, and Harribel were standing in a huddle. He knew that they were talking about the Substitute since he saw how they reacted to him. Ichigo didn't know what the fuss was about, but it was obvious that Sachiko and Rukia felt something about Milton Dante.

"Oh…uh…it's just that I met Mr. Dante before. I knew that his niece was going to be coming here, but I had no idea that he was going to substitute while Miss Ochi's away."

"Ichigo…did you feel something odd about his Spiritual Pressure?"

"No, and I would have told you if I did," Ichigo snapped.

Rukia backed away from him. Her eyes were wide with surprise. It was true that Ichigo sometimes snapped at her, okay make that often, but never like that. It wasn't filled with the annoyance that it did. This time, his tone was filled with fear and anger.

"I know you would. But there was no need to snap at me like that."

"Perhaps if you didn't think that I was useless…"

"I never said that and I don't think that."

"Please," Ichigo said. "The way that you asked me if I felt something odd about the Substitute's Spiritual Pressure made it obviously that wanted to brag that you're not losing your Soul Reaper abilities."

"That's ridiculous and you know it. Damn it, Ichigo, what's gotten into you?"

"Why don't you figure it out?"

Rukia could no longer hold her anger. She slapped him across the face. Ichigo put one hand to his cheek and looked at her. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

"You…IDIOT!" she roared. "I don't know what happened to you. I don't know why you decided to go…go completely insane like that. Now, you better listen and listen good because this is important. I do NOT think that you're useless and I NEVER will. Do you understand me, Ichigo Kurosaki? You rescued me from my execution. You rescued Orihime from Aizen. You defended Karakura Town when it most needed it. You…Are…NOT…Useless."

She looked at Ichigo and shook her head.

"You're my friend," she said in a much softer tone, "and I care about you. So don't ever think that I would ever think that you're useless. Now tell me, what happened?"

"Rukia, I…I…"

"Ichigo, does it have something to do with your Inner Hollow?"

Ichigo nodded.

"I see. So, even though your Soul Reaper powers are diminishing, that one still remains. I'm curious about that, because you told me that both your Soul Reaper and Hollow powers are inter-dependant."

"That's what I thought," Ichigo said. "It turns out that Zangetsu was wrong about that and my Inner Hollow probably lied about it."

"Or neither truly understood what their relationship was," Rukia said. "Ichigo, you really need to speak with Urahara about this. He might have some idea of what's going on."

_Ooh, that's a great idea, _your Majesty_. Talk with the crazy guy who made the Hogyoku to help the Visoreds and yet failed. HA! Don't make me laugh. You don't need anyone, Ichigo. After all, Shinji was right about one thing: they'll all turn against you._

"Shut up," Ichigo growled and put his hands to either side of his head.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered.

"Is something wrong with him?"

Ichigo and Rukia turned and saw Milton Dante standing behind them. He was dressed in khaki pants and a button-down dark blue shirt. He held a cane with the golden head shaped like a beautiful woman singing.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dante," Ichigo said. "I…I was just having a headache."

"I see," Milton said. "Oh, and please call me Milton. I'm rather informal about such things."

"Well, we wouldn't feel right about just calling you by your first name," Rukia said.

"Ah, I see that formality has been drilled into your heads. That's good for me to know. At any rate, Mr. Kurosaki and I met the other day, but I don't believe that I've met you before."

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, Mr. Dante," Rukia said and bowed.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kuchiki," Milton said and held out his hand, which Rukia took and they shook hands. "I'll see you both on Monday."

"Yes sir," Ichigo said and they watched as Milton Dante walked off.

"He's rather…interesting," Rukia said.

"I'll say," Ichigo said. "It's funny, but when I met him, he told me that…" he stopped.

"He told you what?"

"He told me that all of our external fears are nothing more than manifestations of what we fear most about ourselves," Ichigo said. "Rukia, I…I'm sorry. You're right. I never should have snapped at you like that."

"You were afraid?"

"Yes, Rukia, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of becoming…becoming helpless."

"Ichigo, you'll never truly be helpless, not to your friends and not to me."

_**Muken**_

Souske Aizen still hung from his chains. The abyss below him seemed to be ready to swallow him. Sweat poured down his face and terror and agony filled him. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He tried to attain the heights of a God only to come crashing back to the ground and now completely powerless.

He heard the door to his cell open and raised his head. He did his best to look intimidating and gloating even though he felt like neither.

"Well now, this is a surprise," he said. "What brings you here, Yamamoto?"

"I am here to discuss something of great importance, Souske."

"I never thought I would live to see the day when the great Captain-Commander came to _me_ for help. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"Enough, Souske," Yamamoto said. "You are fortunate that Central 46 doesn't have you dropped down there."

"Oh and what's at the bottom?"

"Nothing," Yamamoto said.

"I doubt that," Aizen said. "So, what did you want to ask me about?"

"I have received information that you had research conducted on a strange Reiatsu that was found in Europe."

Aizen tensed at that. Yamamoto did not betray his excitement. At first he was afraid that Aizen considered it unimportant enough to forget, but that reaction told him that Aizen still had it in mind.

"Who told you that?"

"I cannot say."

"I see," Aizen said. "What if I refuse to tell you anything?"

"Then I'll leave and you can just hang there. I know how much you enjoyed looking down on everyone else."

"Yet, here I am. I'm in the lowest cell in the Maggot's Nest and suspended over a great abyss. So tell me, Yamamoto, why should I help you? What can I gain?"

"You can touch solid ground again."

Aizen's eyes widened at that. He wanted that. He wanted to feel the dirt beneath his feet. Even if it was the dirt in this cell, it was better than that nothingness that he was suspended over.

"What if I still refuse?"

"Then you will hang there. You will long for the touch of ground, but you will never feel it. Even when your sentence is finished, you will never truly feel ground again. Every step that you take will feel as though you are still suspended over a great emptiness.

"The last prisoner who was held in those chains spent 100 years hanging above that pit and when he was finally released, he went insane. He cried out how he could not touch the ground. He wept that he was unable to feel the grass between his toes and yet he could see his feet touching the ground. In the end, he took his own life by jumping off a cliff, hoping that then he could feel the ground again.

"That is the power that the Abyss has. It makes you forget the feel of solid ground. It makes you forget the simple pleasure of feeling the grass covered in the early morning dew between your toes. Of course, to a god like you, what does that matter?"

Aizen saw that Yamamoto was about to walk out. Fear and panic rose in him. He knew that his only chance to feel the ground again was about to walk away. Even when he would be released, he would still never feel the ground. He would still feel powerless and helpless and those were things that Aizen never wanted to feel again.

However, what little bit of Pride was left screamed for him to deny Yamamoto the information. But the Pride that once caused him to rebel against the Soul Society was now being drowned by the gaze of the Abyss below him. His Pride let out one final cry of defiance, and if Aizen hadn't looked down, his Pride would have won.

But Aizen looked down. And his Pride completely shattered at the sight of the great emptiness below him.

"WAIT!" he cried out. "DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! I'LL…I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW!"

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

"I'm home," Ichigo said.

"You're home," Isshin said.

"Yeah, uh…where are Karin and Yuzu?"

"Oh, they're outside playing with their new friend."

"What are you talking about?"

"They had a new student transfer into their class today. Yuzu and Karin just gravitated towards her and they brought her home with them."

At that moment, the sliding door to their back yard opened and he could hear his sisters laughing about something. Yuzu and Karin were walking with a girl about their age with light green hair and pink eyes.

"So, did you see the latest episode of _White-Out_?" Yuzu asked.

"Hell yeah, I did," the girl said. "That was exciting when Berry and Chappy went to see the Xcution Squad and their leader turned his medallion into a huge broadsword. I had no idea that the Fullbring ability would be so awesome."

"I know what you mean," Karin said. "Oh, and it looks like the remaining Ten Daggers are going to be coming back pretty soon."

"YES!" the girl cried out.

"Hey Yuzu, hey Karin, how was your day?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh," Yuzu said. "We had a good day today. We made a new friend. Lilynette, this is our brother, Ichigo. Ichigo, I would like you to meet Lilynette Gingerback Starrk."

"Wait a minute," Ichigo said. "Are you by any chance related to Coyote Starrk?"

"Oh, you know her brother?" Karin asked.

"Yeah, he transferred into my class…TODAY!"

"Wow, what a coincidence," Lilynette said and rolled her eyes. "Yuzu, Karin, would you mind if I have a little chat with your brother."

"Fine by me," Karin said.

"Oh, that will give me the opportunity to get dinner ready," Yuzu said.

"Dad, would you mind?" Ichigo said. "I think Lilynette wants to talk to me alone for some reason."

"Of course, but if you need any fatherly advice…just call," Isshin said.

"Oh yeah, I'll be sure to do that," Ichigo said and rolled his eyes.

As soon as the others left, Lilynette jumped onto the couch and Ichigo sat on the chair. The two looked at each other for a moment.

"All right, I guess that someone told you about why we're here," Lilynette said.

"Yeah, that woman with the light blonde hair and an obsession for the color purple."

"Ah Dr. Fleur," Lilynette said. "Look, the reason why I'm at your sisters' school is to help with our cover. Also, this way, we have someone keeping an eye on things. I hope that we won't have any problems. Do we have any problems?"

"As far as I know…no, we don't have any problems."

"Good, that's all. Now, your father…I know he's a Soul Reaper. Urahara told us everything that we needed to know."

"You're not exactly like your brother."

"Of course I'm not. Starrk's rather laid-back and I'm more of a go-getter. But that's not important. What's important is that you know that you can trust us since we're all on the same side. I thought I should make that clear to you. So, do we have an understanding?"

"I guess so."

"Good, now I better get your sisters. Don Kanonji is about to start."

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"Rukia is definitely a Soul Reaper," Emily said.

"Yes, I felt that when I shook her hand," Milton said.

"How many does that make?" William asked.

"So far…at least five," Milton said. "When I walked into that room, I could feel at least five Soul Reapers. When I start teaching on Monday, I'll be able to get a more accurate count."

"Would you like for me to come in?" Howard asked.

"Not yet. Right now, I need for the rest of you to stay low. It's possible that they might someone of Captain-level later on and we'll have to be ready for that. For the time being, I would like for Shirley, Ambrose, Robert, and Charlotte to do patrol duty. Remember, you are only to engage in battle if you need to. I don't want any more unnecessary casualties. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," they said.

"Good, but remember to keep as low a profile as you possibly can. You are only to use your Risveglio as your last resort. The last thing we want is for them to know what we're capable of if we're pushed."

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

"I have called this meeting to discuss our current predicament," Yamamoto said. "As you know, a strange Reiatsu has been discovered in the World of the Living. I have received important information that such Reiatsu was discovered earlier in Europe."

"Who gave you this information?" Mayuri asked, sounding rather interested.

"The new recruit, Nel, informed me that she overheard a discussion on the matter while she was one of the Espada."

"And you trusted her?" Sui-Feng asked.

"I did. She helped the Substitute Soul Reaper while he was in Hueco Mundo and proved trustworthy. I then went to see Aizen to discuss the matter further."

"You actually talked with the Traitor?" Byakuya asked. "I trust that you did not take him at his word."

"I did not," Yamamoto said. "Yet he had no reason to lie to me. He confirmed that he did send out a team of Arrancars to Europe to investigate an area in the Carpathian Mountains where Hollows never went. While there they uncovered the remains of a Hollow that had been partially devoured by a human spirit."

Murmurs rose among the Captains at that. Unohana put a hand to her mouth, a first for her. Mayuri grinned and rubbed his hands together. Kenpachi looked rather excited. Komamura shook his head as though trying to process what he had been told. Even though they had heard of a similar case not too long ago, they still couldn't comprehend what they were hearing.

"This was…how long ago?" Toshiro asked.

"From what Nel told me, it was about 75 years ago by World of the Living reckoning. However, when Aizen heard the results, he had all of the Arrancars involved with the mission and research executed. He then decided to resurrect this project in hopes of creating a better race of Arrancars. He gave the research duties to only one Arrancar, but unfortunately that one Arrancar is not with us."

"Who was it?" Byakuya asked.

"He gave the research over to Szayel Aporro Granz."

"Do we even know where he is?" Komamura asked.

"Oh…I'm sure he's still standing in the middle of Las Noches," Mayuri said with a wave of his hand.

"That doesn't do us any good if he's unable to talk," Sui-Feng said.

"One body is in Las Noches," Yamamoto said. "But another is elsewhere."

"What are you talking about?" Mayuri asked.

"Szayel Aporro Granz is currently in Hell," Yamamoto said. "And I intend to bring him out to help us in this matter."

_**Inner World**_

He feels himself falling again. The water rushes around him and then he sees the remnants of Karakura Town mixed with the remnants of the tall skyscrapers below him. It's the first time that he understood that those tall skyscrapers that marked his Shikai were built over the Karakura Town that marked his Bankai. He sees the all-too familiar shape of White Ichigo standing as though waiting for him in the midst of the ruins.

"So, you decided to come back," White Ichigo said, grinning. "What do you want? Your King has not summoned you."

"I understand something."

"What do you understand?"

"My weakness stems from my fear, right?"

"That's right. But just because you recognize this fact doesn't mean that you have any control over it."

"That's where you're wrong. I know that you're the cause of my fear."

"Is that so?" White Ichigo said and shook his head. "You only understand the concept, but not the actuality. You understand that your weakness stems from your fear, but you don't understand where your fear comes from."

"Where's Zangetsu?"

"Back to that again? I told you Zangetsu's not here. If you were to try to enter your Soul Reaper form, you would be able to. However, you would have no control over it because this…" he said and gestured to the ruined landscape around them, "…is no longer your domain. It's MY domain."

"I'm here to reclaim it."

"Don't even try. You'll only find disappointment. However," White Ichigo said and grinned even wider. "I'll tell you what. Let's make a deal. If you can withstand the current and stay where you are, then I'll consider letting you fight to reclaim this area. However, if you cannot…"

"You'll devour me," Ichigo said.

"Wrong," White Ichigo said. "Why would I want to devour you when you're only devouring yourself?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You should know better than that. Now, here it comes."

At that moment, a rush of energy struck Ichigo. He felt himself spiraling out of control.

"NOOOOOOOO!" he shouted as he was pushed back to the surface.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Rukia rushed out of her closet and saw Ichigo lying on the floor. He was struggling to be freed from his blankets. Under normal circumstances, she would have found this funny, but the look of terror and surprise on Ichigo's face told her that it was anything but funny. She rushed over to him to hold him down, but he was too wild to get anywhere near.

"Damn it," she muttered. "Bakudo number 1, Sai," she said as she pointed her index and middle fingers of her right hand at Ichigo.

Ichigo's arms immediately came together behind his back. However, he was still struggling and crying out. She looked and saw the door crash open as Isshin rushed in.

"It's the same," Rukia said.

"He didn't vomit this time?"

"No," she said.

"I see. I must tell him not to try returning to his Inner World. If he keeps trying, things will only get worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did he talk to you about his Inner Hollow?"

"He did, but what…?"

"I had something similar," Isshin said. "It wasn't quite the same as his, but it was similar enough."

"I don't understand."

"I know, and it's not something you truly know until you go through it yourself," Isshin said as he picked up Ichigo. "You might have gone through it and didn't even realize it."

As Isshin carried Ichigo to the bathroom, Rukia noticed that the door to the girls' room was opened and Lilynette watched what happened.

"Oh…uh…hi," Rukia said.

"Don't worry," Lilynette said. "I won't tell anyone," she said and slipped back into the room and closed the door.

_**Urahara Shop**_

"Do you think Lilynette's having a good time?" Harribel asked as she ran her fingers through Starrk's hair.

"I think so. But, there's something wrong with the Kurosaki boy."

"I may know what it is," Ulquiorra said as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "When I last fought him, he was taken over by something. I believe that it was his Inner Hollow."

"So, you think his Inner Hollow is taking control?" Starrk asked.

"I do not doubt it. Even though Urahara said that when he loses his Soul Reaper powers, he will also lose his Inner Hollow, I do not think that will be the case."

"Because they're as much a part of him as his heart," Harribel said and sighed. "He'll never truly be rid of them."

_**Inoue Residence**_

Orihime heard the knock at the door as she was getting out of the bath. She grabbed her robe and immediately put it on and rushed to the front door, leaving a trail of water behind.

"I'm coming," she called out. "Who is it?"

"It's me," Tatsuki said.

Orihime smiled and unlocked the door. Tatsuki stood outside with a bag of groceries tucked under one arm.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Oh no, I was just finishing my bath when you knocked. Please, come in."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing much better. Oh, and what did you get?"

"Well, I just got some things to make sandwiches. I got bread, and some sliced chicken, and some lettuce and cheese."

"Did you remember the bean paste?"

"Huh?"

"You can't make a decent sandwich without bean paste."

Tatsuki laughed and brought out the jar of bean paste that she got.

_Orihime and her bean paste,_ she thought and shook her head. She would never understand how Orihime could possibly stomach the things she ate.

"You seem much happier," Tatsuki said. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I saw an old friend of mine. We had a nice conversation."

"Oh and where was this?"

"At the park," Orihime said.

"So you weren't sick."

"I guess not," Orihime said and laughed as she rubbed her head.

"So you decided to play hooky from school. I can't say that I blame ya," Tatsuki said and grinned. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

"Thanks for coming, Tatsuki," Orihime said and then bit her lower lip. "There's…there's something I would like to talk to you about," she said.

"You know that you can tell me whatever is troubling you."

"Thanks…Tatsuki," Orihime said and began to tell her everything.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Harper dreamt that she was running down an alley. Something large was approaching her with sharp fangs and claws. She ran, but running was becoming hard for her. She didn't know what to do. Then…

…fog. Everything was covered in fog.

_Where am I?_

_You know where you are._

_Who are you?_

_I am Memoria Del Dolore. Don't you remember?_

_Why are you said?_

_I remember._

_What do you remember?_

_I remember. Don't you remember?_

_Remember…_

…darkness. Everything went dark. She could hear the thing laughing as it approached. Then something spoke from the darkness and everything was…

…covered in fog. A shape stood in the fog and looked at her. It pointed behind her and she saw the creature approach in the fog.

_Stand and kill._

_What do you mean?_

_If you don't want to die, then stand and kill._

_Who are you?_

_I am what you are meant to be. I am your raison d'être. Now, stand and kill. Devour it before it devours you._

She turns and stands her ground. The creature is surprised at this, but then it only erupts in laughter as it charges. She leaps up. She becomes the warrior woman she saw standing in the fog and she devours. She can feel the icy cold blood flow into her mouth and the ripping flesh fills her senses. Then she is consumed by the fog.

"Harper," a voice calls out to her. "Harper, wake up." The fog fades and she sees…

Milton Dante leaned over her. Fear filled his eyes. Sylvia stood next to him, dipping a rag into a bowl of cool water. When he saw that her eyes were open, Milton sighed in relief.

"What happened?" Harper asked.

"You…you were having a dream," Milton said. "When Emily came to check on you, she said that you were screaming something and she rushed to get me."

"I…I did have a dream. I dreamt that monster was chasing me and everything became foggy and black."

"It's alright. You were just having a nightmare," Sylvia said.

"I…I remembered the woman," Harper said. "I remember the warrior woman who told me to stand and kill the monster. She told me to devour it before it devoured me."

"You…you remember that?" Milton asked.

"Milton now's not the time," Sylvia said.

"Of course now's the time. She remembers seeing her Inner Self and it's important for her evolution to remember how she got there."

"No it's not. It's only important for you."

"Sylvia, I know I'm right. The Inner Self is vital for Spiritual Evolution and this confirms it. Her Inner Self told her to kill and devour that Hollow and she did that. That's proof enough for me that the Inner Self does play an important role in all Spiritual Evolution."

"But does that mean that you have to exhaust her even more?"

"But…"

"No, Milton, I'm not going to let you keep her from getting some real rest. For God's sake, she was running a high fever."

"You're right," Milton said. "I'm sorry. I…I just got a little excited. Get some rest, Harper. We can talk about this in the morning if you're up to it."

"Okay," Harper said and she drifted back to sleep.

She dreamt of shapes in the fog.

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

Yamamoto struck the floor with his staff. Grimmjow and Nnoitora stood before them, dressed in their new uniforms while the Captains and their Lieutenants lined either side of the room. Shuhei stood to fill the vacant spot that was left by Kaname and Izuru stood in place of Gin. However, the spot for Squad 5 was completely vacant since Momo was going through serious treatment in order to help her recovery.

"This meeting is called to order.

"Nnoitora Gilga and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, I welcome you to the Gotei 13 and am giving you your first mission."

"ALRIGHT!" Grimmjow shouted.

"It's about fucking time," Nnoitora said, grinning. "Who do you want us to kill?"

"Ha! You two will fit right in with my squad," Kenpachi said with his signature slasher smile.

"Such insolence," Byakuya muttered under his breath.

"Enough," Yamamoto said and Grimmjow and Nnoitora fell silent. "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, now is not the time to show it."

"Sorry, sir," Nnoitora and Grimmjow said.

"Now, your first mission will be to return to Las Noches to retrieve some information. However, you will not go until I have returned with Szayel Aporro Granz."

"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "What do you want with Psycho Pink?"

"No shit," Nnoitora muttered.

"Only Szayel Aporro knows where he hid the information for his research. I have talked with Mayuri and he did not find any information concerning a strange Reiatsu."

"I was sure that he would have kept it with the rest of his specimens in his hidden storeroom," Mayuri said. "However, when I emptied it out for my own collection, I did not find anything that related to any strange Reiatsu."

"Are you sure about that?" Toshiro asked.

"Oh yes, Captain Hitsugaya, I am quite sure," Mayuri said.

"At any rate," Yamamoto said. "Captain Hitsugaya, you and your advance team shall go to the World of the Living."

"Do I really have to take all of them again?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes and you are to fill Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa on the situation."

"Yes sir," Toshiro said.

"Why can't I go?" Kenpachi asked. "It's been a while since I fought something and I want a fight."

"If you were sent," Mayuri said. "You would destroy Karakura Town in a matter of minutes with your barbaric behavior."

"Maybe I would or maybe I wouldn't," Kenpachi said, grinning again. "Would you like me to try it here and now Freakshow?"

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me."

"ENOUGH!" Yamamoto shouted. The two Captains continued to glare at each other, but they returned to their places.

"Captain Zaraki, if you truly wish to accompany Captain Hitsugaya's advance team, then you will have to follow his command. You are not to act on your own and are to be supervised by at least two individuals who are not part of your Squad. Is that understood?"

"Yeah," Kenpachi said, not sounding too happy.

"Do you still wish to volunteer?"

"Hell yeah," Kenpachi said.

"And I get to come too, right Kenny?" Yachiru asked as she popped up over his shoulder.

"Damn right you do," Kenpachi said and licked his lips.

"Great…just great," Toshiro moaned.

"Very well then," Yamamoto said. "Captain Hitsugaya, you and your advance team are to report to the Senkaimon in the morning. While you are going to the World of the Living, Grimmjow and Nnoitora shall stay in the Seireitei until I summon them. That is all."

_**Urahara Shop**_

"So, how many of you are able to do Shikai?" Kisuke asked.

"As of this moment," Ulquiorra said, "none of us."

"I see," Kisuke said.

"It doesn't make sense," Harribel said. "We practice Jinzen every day, but so far no results."

"Lilynette can enter Shikai," Starrk said. "She showed it to me one time."

"That is unusual. Did she say how she did it?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I didn't ask."

"Baka," Harribel said and shook her head. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I even bother putting up with you."

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with myself," Starrk said and sighed.

"Interesting," Urahara said as he fanned himself. "Usually Jinzen works if a Soul Reaper isn't able to perform Shikai."

"Maybe they need to do something different," Dr. Fleur said as she was busy punching the buttons on her cell phone to make a text message. "I mean they were Arrancar before. Maybe something different is needed."

"True, but I heard that Grimmjow's fraccion were able to have a Shikai almost right away."

"Well, their Reiatsu was much lower than these three," Dr. Fleur said. "Did they exhibit any of their former abilities?"

"Huh, no they didn't," Urahara said.

"Come to think of it," Harribel said as she suddenly remembered, "Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun told me that they didn't exhibit the same abilities that we did during their Kido practices."

"Interesting," Tessai said. "That would mean that as far as we know only the former Espada were able to keep their Arrancar abilities. It would make sense that the requirements to achieve Shikai and even Bankai would be different."

"That makes sense. Uh…what are you doing?" Urahara asked as he watched Dr. Fleur's fingers flying over the keys.

"I'm sending my supervisor a text."

"Why is it in purple?"

"Hush, I'm about to send it. There, it's sent."

"Okay, but what was it for?"

"Oh just needed to send my report." All at once her cell phone began ringing "Good Things" by Fine Young Cannibals. "Ooh, that was fast."

She opened the cell phone and read the text message that she got:

EXCELLENT REPORT, DR. FLEUR

WILL BE THERE 4 DAYS OR SO

IF NEED 2 USE METHOD 2

LANCE BURGES

PS STOP WRITING IN PURPLE

"Thanks Lance," she said as she closed the cell phone.

"Well, what did it say?"

"Tell me Kiss-key," Dr. Fleur said, grinning. "Do you know how we do things as far as Shikai and Bankai go in the DSS?"

"Not really," Urahara said.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'll show you exactly how we do things. You see we have two methods in achieving a Level-2 release, which you call 'Shikai'. The first is the equivalent to your Jinzen, but the second…well, it was the method I had to use." She held out her right arm to her side and allowed the golden tiger charm to hang down. "You may have noticed that I don't wear a sword by my side. There's a reason for that. Most of the DSS Soul Reapers don't view such a thing as very stylish or very practical. So, we sheath our Zanpakuto in some other form. This is mine."

All at once, the charm bracelet glowed and in one swift motion it vanished and she was now holding a sword with a thin double-edged blade. The tiger charm hung from the hilt on a silver chain. The blade looked as though it was made from moonlight.

"That's incredible," Urahara said. "It's like that strange ability I heard about: Fullbring."

"Ah so you know a little about Fullbring. Yes, it's very much like that, but it's not. My charm bracelet is the equivalent of a Zanpakuto when it's sheathed. The time that it takes to turn into its unsheathed form, or Level-1 release, is the same amount of time that it takes for you to unsheathe your usual Zanpakuto. However, the more powerful members of DSS can do it in even less time and some don't use bladed weapons like this."

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, intrigued. "I thought that all Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto were usually swords."

"That's because you've only seen what the Soul Reapers here use. However, in the DSS, the usual Zanpakuto for some is a gun that can transform Reishi into projectiles. For others, it takes the form of a crossbow with a number of arrows that's based on their Reiatsu levels."

"So, it doesn't always take the form of a sword?" Harribel asked.

"That's right," Dr. Fleur said. "It completely depends on the person. Cool huh?"

"I guess," Starrk said. "So, what is this second method?"

"I would rather wait until the other two get here before I do it," Dr. Fleur said. "Besides, you might not need it. At least, you better hope that you don't need it. It can be very…intense."

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Ambrose Stoker walked to the large warehouse entrance. He wasn't surprised to see Milton standing in the entryway and looking at the sky.

"Are you alright, sir?"

"I don't really know," Milton said. "I got excited when Harper told me that she remembered a little bit of what happened when she killed that Hollow. She said that she saw a warrior woman and that she became that warrior woman."

"You think she saw her Inner Self?"

"Yes, but it's different from how she described how she saw her Risveglio."

"Maybe you should give up on your research, Milton. If a spirit is able to evolve, then they'll evolve on their own. We can't force them to evolve. If we force evolution, then they won't be as strong."

"Yes, and I forced you and Shirley to evolve," Milton said. "Maybe you're right. But I just don't want to give up on my research."

"You don't have to give up. But you have to remember that you can't save all of them. Besides, there are more important things for you to worry about right now."

"I know."

_**Senkaimon Gate**_

"So, are we gonna do this or what?" Ikkaku asked.

"Yes," Toshiro said. "We'll be meeting with the first team at Urahara's."

"Heh, this should be fun," Kenpachi said.

"Just keep in mind that I'm in command," Toshiro said.

That moment, the Senkaimon opened. The bright light shone on them.

"Well, let's get going," Renji said.

As Toshiro Hitsugaya neared the gate, he felt the seal stamped on him and felt his Reiatsu reduce to 1/5 of its normal level. He took a deep breath and walked through the gate.

**End of Chapter 5**

**Dr. Fleur V.O.: Profilo Dei Mangiatori**

**Kon: Hey, it's everyone's favorite Bleach Idol, Kon here wiht his lovely co-host Dr. Samantha Beatrice Fleur.**

**Dr. Fleur (waving): Hello.**

**Kon: Today we begin our Profilo Dei Mangiatori and our first topic is...Spiritual Evolution. Take it away, Dr. Fleur.**

**Dr. Fleur: Thanks. Anyways, there are two major types of Spiritual Evolution: Soul Reaper evolution and Hollow evolution. In Soul Reaper evolution, a soul goes to any of the many Soul Societies located around the world and most don't evolve any further. However, if they have significant amount of Reiatsu, they become Soul Reapers. There are two major stages of Soul Reaper evolution: Level-2 release and Level-3 release, or Shikai and Bankai. Most Soul Reapers however don't reach Level-3 release.**

**In Hollow evolution, well pretty much it goes from Hollow to Gillian to Adjuchas to Vasto Lorde. However, some evolve to become Arrancars, like Starrk did naturally.**

**These two types fall into the realm of acceptable evolution since they do not take place in the World of the Living. However, the type of evolution that the Mangiatori go through does. As a result, their evolution can threaten the Balance since it puts too much strain on the World of the Living. It's the equivalent of clogging the central point of an hour glass to where none of the fluid can go through. As a result, the strain can become so great that it causes the hourglass to shatter.**

**Kon: Yeah yeah, whatever, now hug me please. Let me feel those nice soft pillows.**

**Dr. Fleur: Okay.**

**Kon: YAY! (jumps)**

**Ichigo (walking-in): What's going on...?**

**(Kon crashes into Ichigo's chest sending them both flying back)**

**Dr. Fleur: Huh, I guess he wanted to give Ichigo a hug too.**

**End of "Profilo Dei Mangiatori" 1**

**A.N.: Poor Toshiro... **

**Hitsugaya: That's Captain Hitsugaya to you.**

**A.N.: Oh, sorry. Poor Captain Hitsugaya, he has to try to keep a leash on Kenpachi and Yachiru. I wish him the best of luck. Thank you for waiting for this chapter. **

**Akemi Amaterasu: Wait a minute, why haven't I been in any of the last couple of chapters?**

**A.N.: Don't worry. You'll be in the next chapter.**

**Akemi: I better, asshole.**

**A.N.: Wow, I've never been interrupted this much before. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Chapter 6: Missions

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 6: Missions**

_Footsteps on the Foggy Bank_

_Footsteps on the Boney Sands_

_Footsteps on the Airy Winds_

_Footsteps on the Halls of the Heart_

_Coming closer to their Fate_

Akemi Amaterasu took out her soul pager and looked at the time.

"Late," she muttered. "That's unlike Captain Hitsugaya, but if he has Rangiku with him…"

She tapped her foot and looked around. A soft luminescent mist seemed to be rising from the ground and advanced towards her. Her eyes narrowed at it and she held her soul pager up to scan it. She had seen early morning mist before, but nothing that resembled it. To her surprise, as she scanned the mist it seemed to retreat. She was about to follow it when she saw the light of the Senkaimon opening.

She turned and saw Toshiro Hitsugaya following a Hell Butterfly and the advanced team.

"It's about time," she said. "Why were you so…why the Hell is he here?" she asked and pointed at Kenpachi as he walked out of the Senkaimon. "I thought he was forbidden from ever entering the World of the Living."

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto made an exception," Hitsugaya said, not sounding too happy about it.

"Yeah, now, who're we fightin'?" Kenpachi asked and looked around.

"Honestly, did you think that they would be here to greet you?" Akemi asked and rolled her eyes.

"You better watch how you talk to Captain Zaraki," Ikkaku snarled.

"Sorry," she said and rolled her eyes.

"Ikkaku, that's enough," Captain Hitsugaya said. "At any rate, I'm glad that you're here to greet us, Miss Amaterasu."

"Whatever," Akemi said. "It's not like I had anything better to do."

"What do you mean by that?" Rangiku asked.

"There's been no sign of a Spirit or a Hollow around for a while. At first I assumed that it had something to do with the Tenkai Kecchu that was used a while back," Akemi said. "However, it seems as though something else is going on."

_**Hell**_

Yamamoto sat on the other side of the small onyx table on the porch of the palace. The red sky and black clouds gave everything a sinister look. It had been centuries since he had to conduct any business here and he hoped that he would not have to come back any time soon.

"Well now, this is a pleasant surprise," a soft, silky voice said.

Yamamoto stood and faced the man who just walked out onto the porch. He was tall and looked fairly young and handsome. He wore a long crimson coat with the gold-embroidered collar turned up. A sash of white and another of black crossed across his chest and was held in place with a disk, half white and half black that was separated with a gold sinewy line. His feet were clad in silver slippers. On his head he wore a thin gold and silver circlet with a stone as white as snow and another as black as pitch at the center that seemed to flow into each other.

"Lord Aruji Enma," Yamamoto said and gave a slight bow.

"Oh please, none of that," Aruji said. "Please, have a seat," he said and gestured to the delicate-looking chair of silver that Yamamoto stood next to.

"Thank you, Sire," Yamamoto said and sat down as Aruji sat in the chair on the other side.

"How about some wine?"

"I know better than to eat or drink anything from the Underworld," Yamamoto said.

"Wise choice," Aruji said. "I, however, shall partake. FOOL! Bring out some wine."

"I won't," a surly voice replied from inside the palace.

"Oh is that so?" Aruji asked and twitched his fingers slightly. "I'm sure you'll recognize this one."

At once, an older man who was wearing a black robe with a crimson jester's cap came running in carrying a tray with a bottle of wine and a gold goblet. Yamamoto's eyes widened when he saw that the crouching figure was Baraggan Luisenbarn, the former "God-King of Hueco Mundo."

"Baraggan," Yamamoto muttered.

"Yeah," Baraggan muttered and glared at Aruji who only smiled at him.

"When he first got here," Aruji said, "he thought that he could become the Lord of Hell. He immediately set up his throne somewhere and started telling the other inhabitants that he would lead them. I watched for a bit since I found it rather amusing that he was actually trying to build up an army to take over Hell. Alas, I got bored with watching him play 'God-King' and so I had him sent here to play another role. I must say…I find this one much more entertaining."

"Your wine, 'my lord,'" Baraggan said, his voice oozed with sarcasm.

"Observe carefully," Aruji said to Yamamoto and then turned his attention back to Baraggan. "You should have some too. You look rather thirsty."

"No," Baraggan said.

"I insist that you drink some," Aruji said and chuckled as he gave another motion with his fingers.

Baraggan poured some of the wine into the goblet and drank it. Baraggan looked at Aruji and smiled.

"Satisfied, 'my lord'?"

"Hmm, so you decided not to try poison this time," Aruji said and poured some wine into the goblet. "You see, Yamamoto. Each time I use him, he tries some way to kill me. Like I said, it's much more entertaining."

"I see that you haven't changed since the last time I saw you."

"Indeed," Aruji said and gave Yamamoto a salute with his goblet. "You must come by more often. Anyways, I'm sure that you didn't come here to pass the time. What is it that you want?"

"I want one of the Togabito who you got from Hueco Mundo."

"Ah I see. Would this have anything to do with what's going on in Karakura Town?"

"How did you know?"

"I have my ways as you very well know, Genryusai. I highly doubt that you came for one of the lesser Arrancars, so that must mean that you want one of the former Espada. Am I correct?"

"You are."

"Now, out of all of the Espada, you got Grimmjow, Nnoitora, Ulquiorra, Harribel, and Starrk. I highly doubt that you came to retrieve Baraggan here since all that he cares about is having a throne. I also highly doubt that you want Yammy. He may be strong, but he's a complete idiot. He tried to challenge my Gatekeeper and failed miserably. His body's currently torn into pieces and spread throughout Hell with the exception of his head that I allowed my Gatekeeper to keep as a trophy. It's rather amusing to hear some of the ranting that thing yells out. So that leaves Aaroniero, Szayel Aporro, and Zommari."

"Yes and I want…"

"Let me figure it out," Aruji said and smiled. "It's been a while since I had this much fun. Let's see. You want someone with information that relates to what's going on. Zommari spent too much time meditating on the 'Glories of Lord Aizen and the Pumpkin' to do any research and is…let's face it…completely useless and Aaroniero spent too much time devouring lesser Hollows in order to maintain his position. That only leaves Szayel Aporro Granz."

"That's right."

"You can't have him."

"What?"

"You heard me. You can't have him, unless…"

"What do you want?"

"I want to be able to visit the Soul Society some time. It gets so boring looking at the same sky and the same landscape. I need a change of scenery. And I would like to get the guided tour of your lovely Seireitei in the spring-time. I understand it's rather lovely that time of year."

"I do not have any misgivings about that since you won't be able to influence anything there."

"I know. My authority is strictly limited here. However, I don't understand why you would want to take him when he could easily tell you what you want to know. I mean, he's been defeated four times and the last time, he lost his powers. He's useless other than what he knows."

"Yet like you said. Your authority is here and so you also have a hold on his leash."

"And of course you don't trust me to let him tell you what you want to know."

"Everyone who knows you knows better than to trust you."

"That's what happens when you have my reputation," Aruji said and laughed. "But are you sure that you wish to take his leash? I don't do returns or exchanges or refunds."

"I'm quite sure."

"Very well, you may…Baraggan, I thought I told you before…that won't work," Aruji said and spun around and grabbed Baraggan's wrist, which was holding a knife that he had hidden on him. "Aw failed again," Aruji said and put his hand on Baraggan's head. Baraggan let out a scream as he was reduced to ashes. "Don't worry. He'll reform in a couple of hours. Anyways, where was I? Oh yes that's right. I'll let you take him. Would you like me to throw in some others?"

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that I currently possess two of your former colleagues."

Aruji clapped his hands and Yamamoto just about stood up when he saw Tosen and Gin walking in. They were both in black and white robes, but they also had iron chains wrapped around them. They both bowed.

"Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen," Aruji said. "As you know they betrayed you and despite their motivations, by betraying their oaths to the Soul Society and the Soul King they ended up down here when they died. However, as you know, I can easily restore them to you."

"Where's Wonderweiss?" Tosen asked. "Why can't I hear him?"

"Oh the poor Mod Soul that Aizen created in order to counter Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka," Aruji said and smiled. "Aren't you curious about him too, Yamamoto? I mean, you felt pity for him and yet you killed the poor creature. I suppose I should let you know. Wonderweiss is currently in Hueco Mundo, fully restored. The Soul King took pity on the poor thing and took his soul from the River Acheron and restored him and gave him back his mind, emotions, ability to speak, and all that he lost when Aizen transformed him."

"I'm glad," Tosen said and Yamamoto couldn't help but feel pity for him.

"Captain Yamamoto, is…is Rangiku alright?" Gin asked.

"She is doing well," Yamamoto said. "She is making friends with some of the new recruits we received due to this whole affair."

"And Aizen?"

"Defeated and in the Muken."

"Good," Gin said and smiled. "I'm glad…I'm glad that some good came out of this whole affair."

"How sweet," Aruji said and laughed. "Well, would you like them back?"

"Captain-General Yamamoto," Kaname said. "This is Justice. I am where I need to be and I must allow Justice to run its course. It's the price I need to pay for my…my arrogance."

"I see," Yamamoto said. "What about you, Gin?"

"Seeing me again this soon would only cause Rangiku more pain," Gin said. "Did I…did I ever tell you that I love her?"

"No, you didn't and you never told her either."

"She knew though," Gin said and tears fell from his bright blue eyes. "She knew I loved her and that was why I betrayed you. That way I could find a way to take back the part of the Soul that Aizen took from her, but I…I couldn't do that. Instead, all I ever really succeeded in doing was breaking my promise to never make her cry. I'm where I need to be as well. It's…it's better this way, for now."

"How long is their sentence?"

"Their crimes were very serious and they did it willingly enough," Aruji said. "Regardless of their motives, they'll be here for about another 10,000 years or so and then they will be forced into Exile from all of the worlds and I believe that the same fate awaits Aizen when his 20,000 year sentence is up."

"I see," Yamamoto said and stood up. "I will come back for them when they are ready to leave this place. Now, take me to Szayel Aporro Granz."

_**Outside Urahara Shop**_

"Well, we're here," Akemi said.

"Thank you Miss Amaterasu," Hitsugaya said. "I'm sorry if we kept you from making the rounds too long."

"Well, you're welcome Captain Hitsugaya, but so far I haven't received a single page alerting me to any Hollows or to any souls in need of Konso," Akemi said as she brought out her soul pager from the pouch she carried. "Nope, still nothing," she said as she checked the pager.

"Maybe it's broken," Yumichika said.

"Doubtful," Rangiku said. "All that you have to do is fill the Reiatsu in the air. It's gotten thicker since the last time."

"Huh, so it has," Ikkaku said and his eyes narrowed. "Do you think that it's similar to the Arrancars?"

"I highly doubt that," Dr. Fleur said as she came out of the shop. "The Reiatsu signals are different from the Arrancars. So, you must be the Advance Team that Kiss-key told me about. I'm Dr. Samantha Beatrice Fleur of the...WHOA!" she screamed as she tripped on a rock in the yard and went sprawling on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Owee," Dr. Fleur said as she got up. "Sorry about that. It happens to me quite often."

"Uh…I see," Hitsugaya said.

"Anyways, I'm Dr. Samantha Beatrice Fleur of the International Soul Reaper Research Center, Alchemical Division. I'm also a member of the Guardian Squads for the Democratic Soul Society of America, Division 5: Research and Retrieval."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Fleur. I am Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, Squad 10 of the Gotei 13. The woman behind me is my Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto."

"Ooh, I absolutely adore that necklace," Dr. Fleur said. "Oh and that sash looks really lovely too. Do you know where I can get one?"

"Sure, come on. Let's go somewhere where just us girls can talk. I'm sure that none of these brutes would care about any of that kind of thing," Rangiku said and the two walked into the shop.

"Great, just great," Hitsugaya said and face-palmed. "I need to get information of what they already discovered and what does she do? She goes off with Rangiku to talk about fashion and other girly stuff. This is…ridiculous."

"Uh…Captain Hitsugaya, where should we go?" Renji asked.

"Let's just stay here tonight. We can discuss things in the morning with the other team," Captain Hitsugaya said.

"HA! To Hell with that, I'm gonna take a look around," Kenpachi said.

"YAY KENNY!" Yachiru shouted.

"Wait just a minute, Kenpachi," Hitsugaya said. "I'm giving orders around here and Captain-Commander Yamamoto told you to obey me. You are not going anywhere."

"Wanna try and stop me?" Kenpachi asked and looked at Hitsugaya.

"You know what…go…go ahead and get yourself killed," Hitsugaya said. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"I won't get killed," Kenpachi said and walked off. "Ikkaku, Yumichika, come along if you wish."

"Yes sir," Ikkaku said and followed.

"Sorry, Captain Hitsugaya, but Squad 11 only takes orders from Squad 11," Yumichika said and followed behind.

"BAKA!" Hitsugaya shouted and he didn't know if he meant the men from Squad 11 or himself.

_**Hell**_

"This place is so boring," Szayel Aporro said.

"**Put us…**"

"_…back in our…_"

"**….tank, you bastard!**"

"Would you two shut up?" Szayel Aporro snapped and looked at the two heads that made up Aaroniero Arruruerie. "You're worse than Lumina and Verona ever were. Tch…your tank fluid was a major disappointment. I mean seriously…I was expecting some kind of chemical; NOT HAWAIIAN FRUIT PUNCH!"

"_**We get thirsty,**_" the two heads said in unison.

"Whatever," Szayel Aporro said and looked out on Hell's darkened landscape. "It could be worse. I could have that idiot Yammy as company. I'm glad he got himself hacked into pieces."

"**I wish…**"

"_…you got…_"

"**…hacked into pieces...**"

"_**…PSYCHO PINK!**_"

"That does it," Szayel Aporro said. "It's back into the pockets with you."

The two heads tried to roll away, but they couldn't go very far. Szayel Aporro picked them up and sneered as he put them in his pockets. They would try to bite him of course, but it was times like those that he was glad his hollow hole was where it was…even though it did make him a bit more insane to be a male and yet not have a penis.

"Now, if only I had something to experiment on," he muttered.

"I could probably help with that," someone said.

Szayel Aporro looked up and his golden eyes widened in surprise.

"Who are you?"

"I am Captain-Commander Yamamoto. I have come to recruit you, Szayel Aporro Granz."

"Why would you do that?"

"I need information on a certain project that Aizen had you work on for him. My own scientist, whom you may remember, is unable to gather the data he needs to reach a conclusion."

"Is that so?" Szayel Aporro asked and grinned. "It's nice to know that Mayuri Kurotsuchi is not as infallible as he thought.

"So, the Soul Reapers need my help in retrieving information from a previous case that I worked on. Yet, they could not find that information in the things that I guess that Mayuri took from my lab. Is that correct?"

"That is correct."

"If I were to help you," Szayel Aporro said, "what's in it for me?"

"First, you would be able to get out of Hell."

"That would be nice," Szayel Aporro said. "This place is getting kind of boring, but I could withstand it for a bit longer."

"Second, you would get your own lab."

"Ooh, I like that," Szayel Aporro said. "It's hard to find good equipment down here. Alright I'm in so long as I get all of my things back from that bastard Mayuri."

"Deal," Yamamoto said.

"Also, I want my fraccion Lumina and Verona to be retrieved and purified and sent to me. They were the only ones who were any good at doing their job."

"Deal," Yamamoto said.

"In that case, let's get this over with so that way I can get back to work. Gods only know how much time I've lost that I could have been using doing research."

_**Karakura Town**_

"Are you sure it was this way?" Kenpachi asked.

"I'm sure…I think," Yachiru said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'I THINK'?" Kenpachi cried out.

"It's like I said," Yachiru said. "I think that weird Reiatsu was coming from this direction."

"That's just great," Kenpachi said. "Now we're lost…in the World of the Living…AGAIN!"

"Maybe we should split up," Ikkaku said.

"Good idea," Kenpachi said. "Ikkaku, you go that way," he said and gestured with his Zanpakuto to the road on the left. "Yumichika, you go right. I'll go down the middle."

"Yes sir," the two officers said and rushed down their assigned roads.

"Now then, where's my opponent?"

As Kenpachi rushed forward, Howard Machen stepped from the shadows. He lowered his opera glasses from his eyes and smiled. The mist swirled around him and reformed into the gold-engraved ivory lorgnette that were now attached to the glasses. When the lorgnette reformed, he put the opera glasses back to his eyes, this time holding the lorgnette. His smile became even wider.

He got the information that Milton wanted.

_**Cherry Orchard**_

"I'm fucking bored," Nnoitora moaned. "Ever since Captain Zaraki left to go to the World of the Living, things have been so dull around here."

"I know what you mean, but at least I have my former fraccion to talk to. It's funny. I didn't appreciate them before, but now that I've really taken the time to know them…"

"Shut up," Nnoitora growled. "I don't give a shit about you and your buddies gathering around the campfire and singing 'Kumbaya' and telling stories about what's been going on."

"And yet you tolerate going to the Cherry Blossoms Club meetings," Grimmjow pointed out. "It's essentially the same thing."

"That's because I'm at least involved," Nnoitora said. "With you guys…I'm not."

"Gee, I had no idea," Grimmjow said.

"It should have been obvious," Nnoitora said. "My aspect of death was Despair and Despair cares nothing for anything that it's not involved in."

"Consider your sorry ass invited," Grimmjow said after a moment's pause.

"Huh?"

"I said you're invited to join us sometime," Grimmjow said. "I don't want to do it…I mean you tried to fucking kill me…but, we're here. We're in the same Squad. We might as well make the best of it."

"You're not turning homo on me are ya?"

"Nope, and don't think I'm showing any pity on ya either. I need someone to help me get that stick out of Shawlong's ass and you're the only one I can think of who can help me with that li'l project."

"Consider me…game," Nnoitora grinned and slapped Grimmjow on the back. "I wonder when Yamamoto's coming back with Psycho Pink."

"Hey, maybe he's already back," Grimmjow said and pointed to the Hell Butterfly that was flying towards them.

"I'll take it this time," Nnoitora said and stretched one finger and the butterfly landed.

"Grimmjow and Nnoitora, come to the Squad 1 Barracks immediately," Chojiro's voice said, and then the butterfly flew away.

"Huh, no personal message from the old geezer this time," Nnoitora said.

"Come on, let's get going Piano Boy," Grimmjow said.

"You better watch it, Sir Blue-Kitty," Nnoitora sneered.

The two laughed as they made their way to the Squad 1 Barracks.

_**Urahara Shop**_

"So, you encountered two with the same type of Reishi that was found on the dead Hollow?" Hitsugaya asked.

"That's right," Harribel said. "However, neither was an exact match."

"That means that we're looking for at least three of them," Dr. Fleur said.

"Captain, we should proceed with caution on Monday," Rangiku said. "There's no telling what they're capable of. If one of them could kill a hollow with little more than their teeth…"

"I'm well-aware of the situation, Rangiku," Hitsugaya said and looked at Dr. Fleur. "You're the expert on this kind of thing. What's the likely scenario?"

"Well," Dr. Fleur said and took off her glasses. "There's a possibility that they could develop any variety of abilities. As to what these abilities are…it's hard to say."

"That's a problem. Fortunately Kenpachi's taking the initiative on that and hunting them out," Hitsugaya said. "Unfortunately…Kenpachi's taking the initiative and hunting them out."

"By 'unfortunately' I that it that means there'll either be no way to take one of them alive or Kenpachi won't find his way back to us," Urahara said.

"Uh…hello, newbie over here," Dr. Fleur said and waved. "Who's Kenpachi?"

"Oh sorry, I forgot that you didn't get a chance to meet him," Hitsugaya said. "He's head of Squad 11, our fighting force. And he only cares about cutting something up."

"Ooh, a real-life Berserker," Dr. Fleur said. "I wonder if I can use him in the World of Warcraft skit we'll be doing in a couple of weeks."

"What are you talking about?" Hitsugaya asked.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"So, we have visitors," Milton said.

"That's right," Howard said and took out his pair of opera glasses. "I gathered what I could, but for me to gather more information I would have had to deal with them directly."

"I understand," Milton said. "Show us what your Risveglio gathered."

"As you wish," Howard said and held up his opera glasses to his eyes by holding the lorgnette. "Show them, Preconoscenza," he said.

Immediately a mist flowed from his hand and engulfed the opera glasses and lorgnette. It glowed like St. Elmo's fire and then drifted away, leaving the opera glasses and lorgnette intact. It drifted to all of the other Mangiatori who were gathered. The mist touched their eyes and seemed to melt into them.

"Hmm, they all have incredible Reiatsu," Robert said.

"Yes, but they have something that's keeping them from going full-strength," Charlotte said.

"Sort of like a seal," Emily said.

"That's interesting," Robert said. "What about their weapons?"

"Like I said," Howard said. "If I was to gather more information then I would have to deal with them directly. What you found out is what my Preconoscenza was able to gather."

"From what I could tell from the information you gathered," Sylvia said, "they're all seated officers within the Soul Society except for the young girl who greeted them, but even then she's also rather powerful."

"Let's see," Milton said. "Two of them are official Captains, but one of them cannot release his sword. Ambrose, I want you to target the large one. I want to see what he's capable of."

"Would you like me to target him now?"

"No, wait until we've given them a chance to back-off. However if they refuse to back-off…then you are to engage Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11."

_**Seireitei**_

"Well, it's been a while," Szayel Aporro said.

"It's been too short of time," Grimmjow said.

"Nice to see you too," Szayel Aporro said. "Ah, Captain Kurotsuchi," he said and turned to the Gotei's most insane Captain, although it would be a toss-up between him and Kenpachi for that title. "I see that you're still as ugly as ever."

"And I see that you're as conceited as ever," Mayuri said and frowned.

"Enough," Yamamoto said, wanting to head off an argument before it even began. "Now pay attention. Grimmjow and Nnoitora, your first official mission as Soul Reapers will be to go to Las Noches and escort Szayel Aporro to gather the information on the strange Reiatsu that was found in Europe 75 years ago."

"You mean…," Grimmjow began.

"…we have to…," Nnoitora continued.

"…BABYSIT HIM!" both shouted.

"He never said 'Babysit,' idiots," Szayel Aporro said. "He merely wants you to escort me back to my old lab in Las Noches and fight any Hollows that might decide to get in the way."

"That's correct," Yamamoto said. "When you have retrieved the information, I shall have Szayel Aporro work with Captain Kurotsuchi on the samples with that new data in mind. As they are doing that, I shall have Nnoitora and Grimmjow go to Karakura Town."

"FUCK YEAH!" the two former Espada shouted and gave each other a high-five.

"However, you will be under the supervision of Captain Hitsugaya."

"Whatever," Nnoitora said, "as long as we get to have some fun."

"Also," Grimmjow said with his signature smile, "I want another go at that Kurosaki brat."

"**What about…**"

"_...us?_"

"What the…?" Nnoitora exclaimed. "Holy fucking shit that sounded like…"

"Oh I forgot about them," Szayel Aporro said and brought out Aaroniero's two heads from his pockets.

"Hmm, fascinating," Mayuri said with a grin.

"So that's another of the former Espada who got purified," Komamura said.

"As if five weren't bad enough, we have two more," Sui-Feng moaned. "Why not just bring the other three and be done with it?"

"Well," Szayel Aporro said, "I can assure you that Aaroniero was unintentional. Mayuri, I'll gladly give you these two heads…as a peace offering."

"_**WHAT?**_" the two heads shrieked in unison.

"**There's no way…**"

"_…I'm gonna be someone's experiment again._"

"Hmm, I know of just the place to put them too," Mayuri said. "It's such a pity that you didn't bring the entire body. When I gathered the data collected from each of the battles with the Espada, I became curious about this one. I was especially curious of as to what was in that tank of his."

"Hawaiian Fruit Punch," Szayel Aporro said. "I know. I was expecting some kind of chemical agent that could preserve him and provide him with nutrients."

"Which is exactly what Hawaiian Fruit Punch is," Mayuri said. "Gods, I hope I don't have to put up with your idiocy for much longer."

"**Finally, someone…**"

"_…we can agree with._"

_**Karakura Town**_

Kenpachi Zaraki finally gave up and, miraculously, found his way back to Urahara's shop. Such a feat did not go unnoticed.

"Maybe he's finally developing some sense of direction," Rangiku said.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Akemi asked as she poured herself another cup of tea.

"Well, did you two find anything?" Kenpachi asked Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Not really," Ikkaku said.

"I only found a rather unbeautiful part of town that smelled strongly like fish," Yumichika said. "Fortunately, I did not stay long enough to allow it to hinder my beautiful scent."

"Yay, everyone's here," Dr. Fleur said. "You picked the right night to come and join us."

"Uh…why are you wearing that?" Hitsugaya asked and pointed at the long brown duster that Dr. Fleur was wearing.

"Well, it's Saturday night," she said and grinned as she reached into one of the pockets and dug out two blu-ray cases. She looked at them with deep reverence. "You see, once a month and always on a Saturday night, we have a tradition in my Squad…well it includes members from other Squads as well. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have been able to attend it this month since I'm here, but my Supervisor allowed me to borrow his copies so that way I could spread it here."

"What is this tradition?" Ulquiorra asked, becoming even more interested.

Dr. Fleur grinned and looked at Urahara.

"Kiss-key, do you have a TV and a blu-ray player?"

"I sure do," Urahara said. "I got the blu-ray player last month so now I'm up-to-date on World of the Living technology."

Dr. Fleur giggled at that.

"I highly doubt you'll ever be caught up," she said and then turned her attention to everyone gathered. "Alright, listen up. Tonight, we have a very serious mission. It is of the upmost importance," she said and held up the two blu-ray boxes.

They all looked at the titles.

"Our mission," Dr. Fleur said, "is to watch the exploits of Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew of the _Serenity_ from start to finish. At the end, we will recreate our favorite scenes. That is our mission," she said and held up the blu-ray copies of _Firefly: The Complete Series_ and _Serenity_ as though she was holding a holy relic. "Now, let us begin."

_**Senkaimon Gate**_

"Well, I trust that you two will be on your best behavior," Szayel Aporro said.

"Whatever," Grimmjow said. "I just hope that I get to fight something."

"You and me both, Grimm-Pussy," Nnoitora said.

"Oh shove it, Piano Breath," Grimmjow said.

"Would you two shut up?" Mayuri snarled. "I'm trying to reprogram the Senkaimon Gate to take you to Las Noches. If I fail, you all would be lost in the In-Between…although…on second-thought, continue your conversation."

"Fucking Freakshow," Grimmjow muttered.

"Well, well, well, I figured I would find you here," someone said.

Szayel Aporro stiffened at the sound. Grimmjow turned and saw his former fraccion heading towards them with Yylfordt Granz in the lead.

"What brings you here?" Nnoitora asked.

"Can't one say 'hello' to his own…brother," Yylfordt said. "I heard that you just got here and now you're running off again…brother."

Grimmjow looked at Szayel Aporro who was beginning to quake. Just from the way Yylfordt said, "Brother," as though it was something disgusting, Grimmjow had a feeling that he shouldn't interfere. Szayel Aporro took off his glasses and put them in the pocket of his new Gotei uniform, complete with lab coat, and turned to face his brother.

"Yylfordt, I…" he began but did not get a chance to finish.

Yylfordt struck Szayel Aporro in the face. Grimmjow winced when he heard Szayel Aporro's nose break.

"That," Yylfordt said, "is for all the times you used me as an experiment. This," he said and kicked his younger brother in the stomach, "is for getting yourself killed. This," he said and brought his knee up into Szayel-Aporro's chin, "is for not giving a shit when I got killed. Finally…" he said punched his brother in the face a second time, but this time much harder. "THAT'S FOR USING ME AS NOTHING MORE THAN A TOOL!"

"Gee, it's good to see you too," Szayel Aporro said as he got up.

"You arrogant, self-centered bastard," Yylfordt said and hugged his little brother. "You were always getting your ass kicked and you never gave up."

"What's a few hard knocks between brothers?" Szayel Aporro asked and the two brothers broke out laughing.

"Don't make me kick your ass again," Yylfordt said. "If I get word that you either got yourself killed again or you put some kind of measuring instruments on me so that way you could gather Intel on your opponents with a chance of me getting killed…I'm gonna hunt you down and kick your ass again and again and again. Got that?"

"Yes brother," Szayel Aporro said.

"As for you two," Yylfordt said and pointed at Grimmjow and Nnoitora. "If my little bro doesn't come back with you…I'm gonna kick your asses and then send you flowers while you recover in the Squad 4 Barracks."

"I'd like to see ya try," Nnoitora said.

"No you wouldn't," Grimmjow said. "Believe me. I've been on the receiving end when I beat up Psycho Pink that one time. It was not a very pleasant experience."

"Are you finished talking?" Mayuri asked. "I think I got it. Now, who wants to be the first test-subject?"

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

"I brought you some food," Ichigo said as he walked into his bedroom.

"It's about time," Lilynette said.

"Yeah, we're starving," Rukia said.

"Whatever," Ichigo said and put two of the three plates of grilled fish and roasted vegetables on the table. "So, how many of the former Espada are going to be sent here?" Ichigo asked and looked at Lilynette.

"Well, you pretty much know all of us by now," Lilynette said. "So far there's just the three of us."

"Fine, I already know about Starrk and Harribel, but who's the third?"

"Like I said, you already know him."

"Shit, the only other two I know are Grimmjow and Nnoitora and I'm not exactly looking forward to seeing either of them."

"What about that Ulquiorra guy?" Rukia asked.

"He turned into ashes and blew away," Ichigo said. "There's no way he can come back."

"Actually," Lilynette said. "Ulquiorra's the third."

"What?" Ichigo asked; his eyes wide in shock.

"Ulquiorra's the third. I don't know how he wound up in the Soul Society, but Ukitake has a theory on it. He thinks that Ulquiorra was saved because Orihime caused him to feel remorse…or something like that."

"Ichigo, are you alright?"

_Well what do ya know? That weakling's back…and he's going after Orihime. Oh well, at least you still have Rukia…_YOU'RE MAJESTY! YHA-HA-HA-HA-HA! _Or perhaps you want both of them? I'll tell ya what…you get Rukia and I get Orihime all to myself, like I wanted. Make no mistake…Orihime will be mine, even if I have to kill that pathetic weakling again and break her heart to get her. She will be mine._

"You won't get her," Ichigo whispered to himself.

"Did you say something?" Rukia asked.

_I'd like to see ya try to stop me. Make no mistake. Orihime will be mine. That's my mission along with gaining complete control over you._

_**Las Noches**_

"Damn, I forgot how dry it was here," Grimmjow said as the three former Espada walked out of the Garganta.

"Ah good, it looks like we're close," Szayel Aporro said and pointed.

In the distance they could see a lone figure standing with a blade running through his right hand and into his chest.

"Uh…isn't that you?" Nnoitora asked.

"Of course it's me, you idiot," Szayel Aporro said. "Hmm…I would have preferred it if he treated my body with some kind of respect."

"This is fucking weird," Grimmjow said as he looked at the two Szayel Aporros.

"Tell me about it," Nnoitora said.

"HALT! State your business," someone said.

"Shit, I know that voice," Grimmjow said and turned around.

Standing behind him was Rudobon with roughly 100 Exequias soldiers with him. All had their swords drawn. Nnoitora reached for his blade, but Szayel Aporro motioned for them to stop. He approached Rudobon.

"I'm surprised to see that you're still alive," Szayel Aporro said.

"As long as Las Noches stands, I am bound to it," Rudobon said. "Yammy may have destroyed one body, but because I am bound to Las Noches, I was revived."

"So, what's been going on since….well…since Aizen left?" Szayel Aporro asked.

"I'm afraid that Civil War has broken out over Hueco Mundo over who will control Las Noches," Rudobon said and looked around.

"What are ya looking for?" Grimmjow asked.

"Damn," Rudobon said, "it seems as though another army is coming closer. Right now there are five major factions fighting over Las Noches, but so far only two have shown to be strong enough to have the upper-hand."

"Really, who are they?" Grimmjow asked, suddenly becoming very interested in Hueco Mundo politics.

"One of them is led by Baraggan's younger brother, Mordrath Luisenbarn," Rudobon said.

"Holy shit, the former Segunda," Nnoitora said.

"You know of him?" Grimmjow asked.

"Fuck yeah," Nnoitora said. "When Aizen took Las Noches from Baraggan, he brought his younger brother back from exile and appointed him the first Segunda of the first generation of Aizen-appointed Espada. However, he decided he wanted the throne to himself and led a rebellion. That's how Nel and I became Espada…we backed the right horse and Aizen gave us positions in the second-generation Espada."

"Yes, and now he's returned to reclaim the throne," Rudobon said.

"So, who's the other faction?" Grimmjow asked.

"That would be me," someone said.

Grimmjow and Nnoitora turned and saw an Arrancar who looked to be about 25 in human years. He wore the same kind of uniform as Rudobon, but his hollow mask was on his forehead and looked like the fragment of an ancient Roman gladiator's helmet. His short brown hair blew slightly and his blue eyes sparkled with a burning fire.

"Shit, Skullak, is that you?" Grimmjow asked. He only saw the former Primera a few times when he sent his Fraccion to train with him.

"Ah, Grimmjow, it's nice to see you again," Skullak Tuma said. "I was sorry to hear about the fate that your Fraccion suffered."

"Fuck, I thought you and Baraggan were buddies," Nnoitora said. "What are you doing fighting his brother?"

"It is an unfortunate twist of Fate that has forced me to fight against Baraggan's brother, but it must be done. Mordrath is an incapable leader and cares nothing for actually caring for his subjects. He…" Skullak fell silent when he saw what the three former Espada were wearing.

"I know…I know," Grimmjow said. "Look, we fell in battle against Soul Reapers and we entered the Soul Society. We're Soul Reapers now, but we didn't come here to do any harm."

"How many?" Skullak asked. "How many of my companions are now…now SOUL REAPERS?" he shouted.

"If it makes any difference, Tuma," Szayel Aporro said. "Starrk's a Soul Reaper as well."

"No…no…that's impossible," Skullak said. "How could so many of my former friends become…become that which I DESPISE the most?"

"Shit happens," Nnoitora said as he picked his nose. "Get used to it."

"At any rate, we're only here to collect some of my data that…that poor excuse of a scientist, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, failed to get his hands on."

"You're Soul Reapers now," Skullak said. "I can't trust you," he said and withdrew his Zanpakuto.

"Damn it, Skullak, don't be so stubborn," someone said.

"Oh…uh…Cirucci," Skullak said, his face turning bright red.

"So, is it true that Starrk and Harribel are Soul Reapers now?" Cirucci asked as she put one hand on Skullak's shoulder.

"Uh…yeah…uh…you're still alive?" Grimmjow asked.

"Of course, they're alive, you idiot," Szayel Aporro said. "I promised Skullak to make sure that Aizen didn't get his hands on them for their failure to stop Ichigo and his friends. Why else would I send Rudobon to fetch them without telling Aizen first?"

"Then…what were those bodies in your specimen collection?" Nnoitora asked.

"Oh those…those were just two Arrancars who failed Aizen and no one had any use for them. I was seeing if I could make them look like Dordoni and Cirucci if Aizen ever wanted to see them. Speaking of which…you owe me for that, Skullak. I don't do things for free."

"You're right," Skullak said. "Cirucci, dear, could you fetch Gantenbainne and Dordoni for me? I need to go over the new plans with them."

"Yes dear," Cirucci said and kissed Skullak on the cheek before sonídoing away from them.

"So, what's it like in the Soul Society?" Skullak asked.

"It's actually pretty nice," Grimmjow said.

"Yeah, we actually get along pretty well with the guys in Squad 11," Nnoitora said.

"How about Starrk and Harribel, how are they doing?"

"Well…from the times we see them, they're doing very well," Grimmjow said. "I would say that they probably belong there more than the rest of us."

"What about Baraggan?"

"We haven't seen that old pile of bones," Nnoitora said. "I guess Skeletor is in Hell roasting his weary bones by a nice warm fire and setting up a new Kingdom for him to rule."

"That would be like him," Skullak said and laughed.

"So, is it true what Rudobon said?" Grimmjow asked. "Is there really a civil war going on in Hueco Mundo?"

"I'm afraid it is," Skullak said. "We've had armies from the other twelve major cities throughout Hueco Mundo try to attack us. However, we've been hearing rumors from refugees fleeing from the Western Wastes."

"What sort of rumors?" Nnoitora asked.

"I'm not sure what to make of them," Skullak said. "However, they concern a group of invaders that are neither Soul Reaper or Hollow or Arrancar and yet are about as powerful as the Vasto Lordes, if not more powerful. They call themselves 'The Potestas' and everyone in Hueco Mundo are becoming afraid of the name."

"Who are they?" Nnoitora asked, sounding as though he would like to face one of these "Potestas" as soon as possible.

"We don't know," Skullak said. "And that worries me."

"Hmm, they sound as though they could be very interesting test subjects," Szayel Aporro said and grinned.

They reached the double doors that led to Szayel Aporro's storeroom where he kept his specimens. He pulled the doors open and frowned at the empty room.

"That vulture took everything," he moaned. "Ah well, if he was a real scientist then he should have known that I would keep another storeroom where I stored all my special stuff."

"HA! That sounds like where Nnoitora kept all of his porn," Grimmjow said.

"Oh shut up Grimm-Kitty," Nnoitora snarled.

The three walked into the room while Skullak stood outside and was talking with Rudobon. Grimmjow and Nnoitora were not happy to be in here, especially seeing the large number of hooks that hung down from the ceiling. However, Szayel Aporro never slowed down. Instead he sped up until he reached one of the many torch brackets along the left-hand wall. He smiled.

"I knew that idiot wouldn't be able to find it," Szayel Aporro said and gently pulled the torch bracket towards him.

Immediately, one of the tiles to the right of the bracket opened and a screen slid out. Szayel Aporro pulled off the glove he wore and put his hand, palm-down, on the screen. A green light illuminated his hand and Szayel Aporro removed it and took off his glasses and looked right into the bracket as a light-blue color laser flashed scanned his face. Then, the wall panel slid open.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow asked as he looked inside.

The room was filled with computer equipment that showed various areas around Las Noches. Grimmjow looked at the screens and saw pictures of all of the Espada's rooms as well as the rooms for the other Arrancars. He watched as Loly and Menoly were arguing with each other in one of the halls and could make out that they were arguing over who was going to get their hands on Uryu Ishida when he came back and rape him. He watched and listened as they came to an agreement that they would both rape Uryu at the same time.

"Damn, those two are still as psychotic as ever," Grimmjow muttered.

"Ah, here we are," Szayel Aporro said and removed a disk from one of the many cabinets to the side. "This should have all of the data I collected. It's a lot easier than carrying all of the paperwork and samples back."

"Great," Nnoitora said as he looked around. "Hmm, it's quiet," he said and smiled.

"Fuck yeah," Grimmjow said also smiling. "Like just before a fight."

The two rushed out, leaving Szayel Aporro Granz alone. He looked at them and frowned and then he looked at the computer screens. His eyes grew wide as he saw an army of regular Hollows pour into Hueco Mundo. Behind them he could see a large platform being carried with a great throne made from bones and some of the crystalline trees that made up the Menos Forest. He recognized the figure giving orders.

"Shit," Szayel Aporro Granz moaned.

Mordrath Luisenbarn was invading Las Noches.

_**Hell**_

"Hmm, so we have a missing occupant," Lord Aruji Enma said and smiled as he looked at his goblet of wine.

"Yes sir," the guard said. "It's Aaroniero Arruruerie. His body is still here, but not the two heads."

"Oh dear, it would appear as though Yamamoto took him as well by mistake. Unfortunately, he didn't pay for them. Please send a message to Yamamoto to inform him that I'll be arriving to discuss this matter with him. Oh…and send another notification of said-visit to the _Seireitei Bulletin_. After all, I wouldn't want to disappoint my fans by denying them the honor of seeing me again."

"Right away sir," the guard said and vanished.

"Now then, what should I wear for my visit to the Seireitei?"

At that moment a spider entered the chamber. Aruji looked at the bone-white insect and smiled.

"Come here," he said.

The spider scuttled towards him and hopped into his hand. Aruji looked at his little spy from Hueco Mundo and smiled.

"What's going on now?" he murmured and popped the spider into his mouth.

As his teeth bit into the spider's body, he saw what the spider saw during its time gathering information from Hueco Mundo. He saw Hollows and Arrancars fighting each other. He saw some of the thirteen main cities burn. He saw banners fly only to fall as their lords were conquered.

"Ah…Civil War in Hueco Mundo…this should be fun."

_**Las Noches**_

"FUCK YEAH!" Grimmjow and Nnoitora shouted as the first rush of Hollows came at them.

Skullak withdrew his sword.

"Sir, they're coming," Dordoni said as he along with the other Privaron Espada came running towards him.

"I know," Skullak said.

"It's bad," Szayel Aporro said as he came running towards them. "I recognized that Mordrath is with them."

"No he's not," Skullak said. "That's not his Reishi that I'm feeling. He always does this. The coward always sends in a double so that way he can watch the battle from a safe distance. He won't come onto the scene until he's absolutely sure that he has achieved victory."

"Oh…" Szayel Aporro said and adjusted his glasses. "Grimmjow, Nnoitora, we better get going. There's not much we can do…"

"EXCEPT HAVE SOME FUN!" Grimmjow yelled and laughed.

"No shit," Nnoitora said and grinned. "It's about time we got back into action."

Grimmjow and Nnoitora withdrew their Zanpakuto and grinned at each other. They looked at the army of Hollows charging towards them and rushed forward.

"Great…just great," Szayel Aporro moaned. "What am I supposed to tell everyone if I come back alone because you two were stupid enough to rush into battle? Why couldn't I have some of the more _responsible_ Espada accompany me on this mission?"

Grimmjow and Nnoitora roared out with glee as they clashed with the Hollows. The hand-to-hand combat training they took with Yoruichi was coming in handy. Their swords cut through the Hollows as though they were nothing more than butter. Both felt a surge of adrenaline rush through their bodies and the sensation was the same as drinking strong liquor. They felt alive again.

"Damn, this is BORING!" Nnoitora said. "There's no challenge here. Where are the fucking Arrancars?"

That was when they saw the Arrancars. Both grinned and yelled as they slaughtered the Hollows that stood in their way. Most of the Arrancars were already in their Resurrección forms. Grimmjow and Nnoitora grinned as they continued to fight. Some of the Arrancars began to back off, except for a few who rushed forward, unleashing a wave of Reiatsu that threatened to bring many of the structures around them crashing down.

"Holy fucking shit," Grimmjow whispered and grinned.

"VASTO LORDES!" Grimmjow and Nnoitora yelled in glee.

"Now it's getting fun," Nnoitora said as he raised his Zanpakuto above his head.

"No shit," Grimmjow said and he put the tips of his fingers on his Zanpakuto.

"PRAY, SANTA TERESA!" Nnoitora shouted.

"GRIND, PANTERA!" Grimmjow shouted as he ran his fingers down the length of his blade.

However, nothing happened. The two looked at their Zanpakuto in surprise.

"What the fuck?" Nnoitora muttered.

"NOTHING HAPPENED!" Grimmjow shouted.

"NO SHIT, SHERLOCK! WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CLUE?"

"Well, you don't look like a giant insect?"

"And you sure as Hell don't look like a fucking cat."

"Damn you…for the last time…I'M A PANTHER!"

"Would you two niños get out of our way?" Dordoni asked and shoved them behind him.

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow said.

"You're useless against them," Skullak said as he, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne joined Dordoni at the front lines. "Face it, you can't go into Resurrección anymore and you can't even unleash a Shikai. You would only get yourselves killed. Now, go. Leave them to us and get Szayel Aporro back to the Soul Society with the data he collected. That is what you came for…right?"

Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked at each other and sighed.

"Shit, I hate running like this," Grimmjow said. "But he's right. We didn't come here to fight."

"Fuck," Nnoitora said and turned around and walked back to where Szayel Aporro was waiting next to the Garganta. He stopped and turned around. "THIS AIN'T FUCKING OVER!" he shouted.

"Yeah," Grimmjow said, grinning. "When we get more powerful, we'll come back and fight as well."

"Whatever you say," Skullak said and smiled at them. "Now get going. Make sure that you close that thing behind you."

"Yeah, and we'll also turn out the lights too," Grimmjow said and he dragged Szayel Aporro to the Garganta.

"Mission Fucking Accomplished," Nnoitora sneered and the three walked into the Garganta, which closed behind them.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Lilynette opened the door to Ichigo's room and watched as he slept. She crept towards the closet and knocked gently on the door. The closet door slid open and Rukia looked out.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked.

"I need to talk to you about something," Lilynette said. "Come downstairs."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Lilynette said and looked at Ichigo. "He's sleeping better than he did last night."

"Yeah," Rukia said as she slid out of the closet.

The two slipped out of the room and made their way downstairs. Rukia hoped that no one heard them coming down here. Lilynette turned on one of the lamps in the living room and plopped onto the couch. She patted the seat next to her and Rukia sat down.

"Tell me…do you love Ichigo?" Lilynette asked.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. What are your feelings towards Ichigo?"

"I…uh…well…he's a really good friend and I…"

"You love him," Lilynette said and smiled as Rukia blushed. "That's good. It means you can get through to him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Rukia, did you know that all Zanpakuto are interconnected and can communicate with each other?"

"What?"

"It's true. All Zanpakuto can communicate with each other and it's not just the Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto, but also the Arrancars' as well."

"How's that possible?"

"Rukia, all things are made of two unique and yet united beings: a Hollow and a Zanpakuto Spirit. Both are equal and are in a continuous struggle for supremacy. Even after death, this struggle continues."

"How do you know this?"

"Please, I used to be a Zanpakuto," Lilynette said. "It's one reason why I've mastered so many abilities so early. Right now, I'm the only Arrancar to be reborn who has mastered Shikai."

"What?"

"Please, don't interrupt," Lilynette said. "As I was saying, after death, the struggle for one's Inner Hollow and Inner Zanpakuto still continues. If a person is purified and sent to the Soul Society before either side wins, then they become a regular soul…completely powerless. However, if by the time a soul's Inner Zanpakuto is able to triumph and gain full control before they're purified, then that soul can become a Soul Reaper. However, if the Inner Hollow becomes victorious…"

"Then they become a Hollow," Rukia said.

"Exactly, but here's the thing…neither is truly destroyed. When one side gains victory, it consumes the loser and the two become one. That's what causes Spirit Evolution to become possible."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, both the Inner Hollow and Inner Zanpakuto have to work together in order to progress to their fullest potential. However, it's very rare for the two opposing sides to work in-sync with each other to the point where one's full potential is achieved and even then, they're afraid to go that far because then they become stagnant. The Zanpakuto's biggest fear…is becoming stagnant. The irony is that this fear causes them to become stagnant at either Shikai-level or Bankai-level.

"However, the Inner-Hollow does not have this fear. It wants to evolve and to become stronger. It becomes the driving force."

"What does this have to do with Ichigo?"

"Everything," Lilynette said and looked at Rukia.

"Rukia, based on what Ulquiorra told us, Orihime is the motivation for his Inner Hollow, but I guess that you are the motivation for his Inner Zanpakuto. When you gave him part of your powers, it awakened his Inner Zanpakuto. But when Orihime cried out to him on the roof of Las Noches, his Inner Hollow fully awakened and took over. As a result, the battle that wages inside him is now between you and Orihime and whichever he chooses…that side will win."

"Are you saying that his choice between me and Orihime will…?"

"Yes, the choice between you and Orihime will determine which side will win out. That's the power of Love," Lilynette said. "You see, when Starrk realized how much he loved his companions, he allowed me to be free. If you want to see what an Inner Hollow and an Inner Zanpakuto looks like when they work in harmony, just look at me and Starrk. Starrk was the Inner Hollow and I was the Inner Zanpakuto. I can perform Shikai because I used to be a Zanpakuto Spirit and knew what she wanted."

"Who?"

"My Zanpakuto, Los Lobatos," Lilynette said and smiled. "Starrk is getting close to achieving it, but he just needs to get into the Zanpakuto Wilderness to achieve it and I can't show him how to get there since it varies from person-to-person and we are now two unique people."

"Again, what does this have to do with Ichigo?"

"The Love that he has for you and Orihime is keeping him divided. That's why he's in so much pain. He doesn't know whom to Love and as a result he no longer knows himself. That's why he needs to face the heart of the problem."

"You mean…who he loves more?"

"You would think so, but from what Zangetsu told me that's not it."

"When did you talk to Zangetsu?"

"The last time I went to the Zanpakuto Wilderness. He was there and he recognized that I was unique in that I could access the entire Zanpakuto Wilderness at once since I used to be a Zanpakuto and yet I could also interact with the Human World. He told me that the only way to get through to Ichigo was to have the one who awakened his Soul Reaper powers and the one who awakened his Inner Hollow enough to take full control to help him face what lies at the heart of his greatest fear and motivation."

Rukia looked at Lilynette. She had no idea that the things a Zanpakuto knew could be so deep and the girl before her had access to all of it.

"So…I should have him drive Orihime away?" Rukia asked.

"NO!" Lilynette shouted at her. Lilynette then looked around, but seeing that no one was coming down to investigate, she leaned forward. "You mustn't do that. If you drive Orihime away, then it will cause Ichigo's Inner Hollow to become enraged and further motivate him to take over. No, the only way to get the balance back in him is to…is to make him lose all of his powers. However, he won't truly lose them. They'll just lie dormant until they're reawakened by some other power."

"What other power?"

"It's called Fullbring, but no Soul Reaper or Arrancar can teach him that. Only someone whose mother was attacked by a Hollow before they were even born can perform acts of Fullbring, which manipulates the soul in any object. Ichigo has the potential for it, but he's not able to access it since his powers are not balanced. The only way to get him back in-sync is to get him to use his Soul Reaper powers enough times to where he goes into another coma and the powers lie dormant. Fullbring will act as a system restart and his powers should become in-sync again."

"How come this didn't work for the Visoreds?"

"Only someone who's still _physically_ alive can undo the effects of Hollowfication, which means that the Visoreds are out. However, Ichigo can regain Equilibrium, but he needs your help to do it. He needs you and Orihime to show that you both love him and that you're willing to stand with him and help him face whatever caused the division in the first place."

"I see," Rukia said. "What happens if either Orihime or I reject him?"

"Then he'll never become whole again," Lilynette said. "However, you both have to mean it and you both must help him face his inner demons, and make no mistake, Ichigo, like everyone, has plenty of them."

"How can we do that?" Rukia asked.

"I don't know, but Zangetsu mentioned something called 'Risveglio'. He told me to find someone who's Risveglio can show a person their heart. But, where are we gonna find someone like that?"

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Milton sat on the roof of the warehouse and looked at the moon. The information that Howard gathered using his Risveglio, Preconoscenza, told him much about the ones they would be facing soon. He had a feeling that he would be seeing them again very soon.

"I figured I would find you up here," Sylvia said as she climbed to the top of the ladder.

"Well…here I am," Milton said.

"You haven't asked Harper about what she saw. Why is that?"

"I've decided that it doesn't really matter anymore. I believe that the Inner Self plays a role in Spiritual Evolution, but what does that matter in the long-run? I figured that you're right…that was only important to me."

"What changed your mind?"

"Our visitors," Milton said and he looked at her. "I guess…you also had a part in it."

"What…what are you saying?"

Milton got up and walked towards her. He pulled her into an embrace and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"I now know my Raison D'être," he said. "You are my Raison D'être and not just you. I am meant to protect all of you. I will make those who try to harm us to look and examine their hearts. That is my mission."

**End of Chapter 6**

**Dr. Fleur V.O.: Profilo Dei Mangiatori**

**Kon: Hey, it's everyone's favorite Bleach Idol, Kon here. Alas, Dr. Fleur could not join us today, but I do have a special guest. Please welcome, Howard Machen of the Mangiatori.**

**Howard (Waving): Hello.**

**Kon: Today's topic is Risveglio. What is it exactly?**

**Howard: Risveglio is a Mangiatori's special ability and is unique from individual-to-individual. Each Risveglio has a unique name. For example, mine is called "Preconoscenza".**

**Kon: Yours is more for gathering information, right?**

**Howard: Yes. When I partially release it, it can get information on a person that includes their name, personal stats, Reiatsu. The only exception are their fighting abilities and Zanpakuto releases, which I can get if I go into full Risveglio but it requires me to get directly involved. Likewise, I can't get their inner thoughts and emotions. I can have my Risveglio to share the information I gathered with the rest of the Mangiatori by using the command "Show them", followed by its name. When I want to go into partial release, I simply use the command "See", but don't say its name, which I only do if I want to go into full release.**

**Kon: Interesting...now...can you use your Risveglio to get Rukia's measurements?**

**Rukia (Bursting through the door): I heard that! So, you wish to take advantage of someone's abilities just to get my measurements?**

**Kon: Oh Goddess Rukia, you misunderstand. I wanted to get your stats in case you got hurt or something.**

**Rukia: Yeah right. Come here you little Perv. I'll make sure that you get measurements...for your coffin.**

**Kon: NOOOOOOOO!**

**End of "Profilio Dei Mangiatori" 2**

**A.N.: Wow! So much has happened in this chapter and I actually got this one done really ahead of schedule. First of all, I want to thank darkmachines for granting me permission to use his OC Skullak Tuma. I hope that I did him justice. Next, I want to thank all of the readers and reviewers.**

**This chapter is really getting into the mythology that I've developed for it. We have the first case of a Risveglio being used. We have the relation between one's Inner Hollow and Inner Zanpakuto that I thought of, and which is partially based on the relation between Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo in the official "Bleach" canon. Also, a Civil War in Hueco Mundo sounded like a neat idea and to have Baraggan have a younger brother seemed the right way to go.**

**Thank you for reading and please review.**


	9. Chapter 7: Shadows on the Page

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 7: Shadows on the Page**

_What do these words say?_

_What do these words mean?_

_What do these words show?_

_What is it about me?_

_That creates these shadows on the printed page?_

Ichigo's head throbbed when he woke up Monday morning. He stretched and looked at the alarm clock by his bed. He was surprised to see that it was only 4:45 AM and thought that the clock must be slow, but when he looked outside he saw that it was still dark. He decided to just go ahead and get ready to go to school. Perhaps he would get lucky and his dad wouldn't try another one of his sneak attacks.

"GOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOOOORNING ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO!" his Dad shouted from somewhere nearby.

_So much for avoiding one of Dad's sneak attacks,_ Ichigo thought as he held out his right hand in a fist that hit Isshin on the nose as his Dad rushed in.

"Ow, that hurt," Isshin said.

"Maybe you should stop trying to attack me every frickin' morning," Ichigo growled.

"Come on, don't be like that," Isshin said. "You're up early again. Why?"

"I don't know," Ichigo said as he made his way to the bathroom. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Fine, whatever you say," Isshin said and watched as his son went into the bathroom to do his morning rituals of shower and brush his teeth.

"He's up early again," Rukia, who was dressed in a pair of Yuzu's old pajamas, said as she got out of Ichigo's closet.

"Yeah," Isshin said as he made his way back to his own room.

Rukia didn't say anything. Instead, she looked at the bathroom door where she could hear the sound of running water. She thought about what Lilynette said on Saturday night and knew that she was right. Ichigo thought that brute force was enough to control his Inner Hollow, but that wasn't the case. He had to face whatever his demons were head-on and come to terms with them.

She sighed and walked back into Ichigo's room and felt his bed sheets. Again, they were drenched with sweat and now she saw spots of what looked like blood on his pillows.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Milton finished up his first lesson plan for his time as a teacher. The soundtrack for _Game of Thrones_ played on his iPod. He moved a hand in tune with the epic score of tracks like "Main Titles" and "King of the North" and "Fire and Blood". His love for reading took him from Ancient Greece to the worlds of Tolkien and Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin and he wanted to share that passion with the next generation. To his surprise, it had another bonus. He could keep an eye on the Soul Reapers stationed in Karakura Town.

"Big Brother," Harper said.

Milton pushed pause on the iPod and turned to look at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I had a bad dream," she said.

"Tell me about it," he said.

"I dreamt that everyone laughed at me at school and everybody said that they hated me."

"Aw, Harper, I highly doubt that anyone would say that to you. If they did, it just means that they're jealous."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, don't let those nerves get the best of you. Today, just be yourself and I'm sure you'll make lots of friends."

"You really mean it?"

"I promise. Well, since you're up, how about you get ready for your first day."

"You're getting ready for your first day too."

"Yes I am. Believe me. I'm a little nervous too. But, I've decided to just do my best and be myself."

"Does that mean you're going to show them your Risveglio and talk about Spirit Evolution?"

"No, because those things are private and I only use my Risveglio if I have no other choice. However, I'm gonna be like I am with you."

"Like a Big Brother?"

"Exactly, although not the George Orwell Big Brother," he said and chuckled. "Now, what would you like for breakfast?"

"Waffles with bacon," she said and grinned.

"Yes ma'am," Milton said.

While Milton was making waffles and bacon, William walked in.

"Cooking breakfast for her again?" William asked.

"What do you want, William?"

William ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"I want to meet our visitors," William said.

"I see. You want to deliver the message to them tonight?"

"Yes, I want to see what they're made of."

"You're only to talk to them and engage them in combat if you have to. I only want them to leave us alone; not pick a fight with them. If you can behave yourself, then I will give you the mission."

"Yes sir, sir," William said.

"I hope that means that you'll behave yourself."

_**Urahara Shop**_

"WAKE UP EVERYONE!" Tessai shouted.

"Ugh, do we have to?" Starrk moaned from the pull-out couch he slept on as he rubbed his eyes.

"Yes…you do," Tessai said and lifted Starrk by the collar and set him on his feet. "You have to go to school."

"Do we have to?" Dr. Fleur asked as she poked her head out of the tent she and Harribel shared.

"Of course we do," Ulquiorra said as he approached them, already dressed and ready to go.

"Now why can't you be more like this responsible young man?" Tessai asked and gestured to Ulquiorra.

"Whatever you say, Mom," Starrk mumbled as he shuffled off to the washroom that had been set up in the training ground.

"What about the others?" Harribel asked as she got out of the tent. "Why are you waking them up?"

"It's because the Boss wants to fill them in on the details. Also, this message arrived for you, Dr. Fleur," he said and held out a folded sheet of paper to Dr. Fleur.

"Oh…it must be from my Supervisor," she said and took the sheet of paper. "It must be details on his arrival." She unfolded the sheet of paper and began to read. However, as she read she began to look gloomy. "Aw, he won't be able to make it for another couple of days," she whined. "He says they have a situation going on in Europe that he needs to help evaluate and he ordered me to stop writing my reports in purple ink."

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

"We got the info you wanted. Now, when the Hell are ya gonna send us to join in the fun?" Grimmjow asked.

"I don't know, the situation in Hueco Mundo sounds more fun," Nnoitora said and grinned. "Just think of it. A fuckin' CIVIL WAR in Hueco Mundo involving at least FIVE ARMIES OF ARRANCARS! If there's anything more fun than that I sure as Hell can't think of it."

"Silence," Yamamoto said and thrust his staff against the floor.

The other Captains gathered looked at him. Many of them thought that the situation in the World of the Living was bad enough, but now to hear of a Civil War going on in Hueco Mundo. That was just as disturbing. Plus, it could be one reason to explain why Hollows weren't showing up as often in the World of the Living or the Soul Society and that was also threatening the Balance.

"Aizen's Winter War has brought about more chaos than we could have imagined," Yamamoto said. "However, the situation in the World of the Living must be dealt with before we can even think of how to handle the situation in Hueco Mundo."

"I agree," Byakuya said. "The situation in the World of the Living is our first responsibility. Whatever is going on in Hueco Mundo is none of our concern."

"At least for now," Unohana said. "The situation in the World of the Living is threatening all levels concerned. It shows that what occurs on one level of existence can affect all of the other levels as well."

"Indeed," Yamamoto said. "That is why you two," he said and gestured to Grimmjow and Nnoitora, "must go to the World of the Living. The very fact that you cannot unleash your Shikai means that you won't be as much help in Hueco Mundo as you would like. You need to learn to use at least Shikai."

"Tch…fine, whatever," Nnoitora said. "But as soon as we do, we'll be heading to Hueco Mundo."

"That remains to be seen," Yamamoto said. "Ukitake, make sure that the Senkaimon is ready for these two to go to the World of the Living."

"Yes sir," Ukitake said and bowed.

"Until Captain Kurotsuchi and Szayel Aporro have gone over the data retrieved, this meeting is adjourned."

_**Karakura High School**_

Ichigo looked out the window and Rukia looked at him from the corner of her eye. She didn't know what to say to him and so she didn't say anything. She looked over to where Sachiko was talking with Tatsuki and Dr. Fleur. She sighed as she got up and went over to Orihime who was humming to herself.

"Hey Orihime," Rukia said.

"Oh…hey Rukia," Orihime said, smiling. "Did you have a nice weekend?"

"Yeah," Rukia said. "And you?"

"Well, Tatsuki and I went to that new shop in the mall and I got this," she said and showed her the keychain with a chibi figure of Hana Hime from _White-Out_. "They have all kinds of cute things. So…how's Ichigo doing?"

"Oh…uh…he's…" Rukia muttered. She didn't know what to say about how Ichigo was doing. She wanted to tell her, but a part of her was afraid that Orihime was still in love with Ichigo. She knew for some time how her friend felt and what Lilynette told her only confirmed her suspicions. She was spared from having to tell her anything by the bell ringing.

"Alright people," Milton Dante said as he entered the room, a box cradled under one arm, which he set down by the podium. "Everyone take your seats. Now, since Miss Ochi is on vacation, I have the honor of being your teacher. For those of you who weren't here last Friday, I'm Milton Dante," he said as he wrote his name on the board behind him. "Before we get started, we have two new people who will be joining us." He turned his attention to the pair of sliding doors and smiled. "You may come in now."

Ichigo already had a good idea of who was going to be walking in, but it still did not come as less as a shock for him. He saw that Uryu stiffened when Ulquiorra walked into the room. However, most of the class's attention was focused on the girl who walked in with him.

"Oh boy, someone's going to have a lot of stalkers after her," Tatsuki sighed.

"Alright, I would like for our new students to introduce themselves," Milton said and he gestured for Ulquiorra to come up first.

"I am Ulquiorra Schiffer," he said in his monotonous voice. "I am originally from Spain and my family moved out here for business purposes."

"Thank you, Mr. Schiffer," Milton said. "You may take the desk next to…" he paused as he consulted the class seating chart, "…Miss Inoue."

"As you wish, sir," Ulquiorra said and bowed before making his way to the empty desk next to Orihime.

As usual, the whispers began.

"Why is he so pale?"

"I don't know. Do you think he might be one of those Goth people?"

"He looks more like one of those Emo people who like to slit their wrists."

"I don't know, I think he's kinda cute."

"Who cares? Check out the babe."

"Hey, Ichigo," Chad whispered to him. "Is that the guy you fought?" he asked and nodded to Ulquiorra.

"Yeah, it is," Ichigo said.

_And I'll fight him again,_ his Inner Hollow said and Ichigo could feel the rage. _Just look at how Orihime's looking at him. I'll fucking kill him for daring to show his Emo face again._

"Hello everyone," Emily said as she got to the front. "I'm Emily Dumas Straub. Mr. Dante is my Uncle on my Mother's side and my little sister and I moved here from the States."

"Wow, an American girl," Keigo said.

"Mr. Asano," Mizuiro said. "Your nose is bleeding again."

_**Urahara Shop**_

"Another boring day," Akemi said and sighed.

She leaned against the side of the shop and yawned. She made her usual rounds and only performed three Konsos during that time. Also, she only had to battle one Hollow and even then that didn't take long. She closed her eyes and sighed. She then heard approaching footsteps and she looked to see who it was.

"Whatcha doing?" Rangiku asked.

"Morning, Lieutenant Matsumoto," Akemi said and yawned.

"Oh please, you know the name's Rangiku."

"I know, but your Captain might get angry with me for not being formal."

"That's only if you're informal with him. So, how were the rounds?"

"Three Konsos and one Hollow," she said. "It's been a busy day for me. Have there been any new developments from the Soul Society?"

"Well, the team that was sent to retrieve data from Hueco Mundo got back and they mentioned something about a Civil War going on."

"Hueco Mundo can have Civil Wars?"

"I guess so. Anyways, they got the information and the Captain-Commander is sending Grimmjow and Nnoitora here. They should arrive later today."

"When Dr. Fleur gets back, we better inform her. She wanted to wait for all of the former Espada to arrive before she helped them achieve Shikai," Akemi said.

"I thought I would find you out here," Hitsugaya said as he rounded the corner in his Gigai.

"Captain," Rangiku said. "I just informed her that Grimmjow and Nnoitora would be coming along pretty soon."

"Really?" Toshiro asked, although there was a note of surprise in his voice. "I find it hard to believe that you actually took the initiative on something. Maybe you're starting to take some responsibility as a Lieutenant."

"Thank you, Captain," Rangiku said.

"Anyways, we just got orders to go back to Karakura High in a couple of days."

"Damn, Ichigo's class is gonna get crowded with the number of transfers into his class," Akemi said.

"Well, the last time we were put into a different class," Hitsugaya said. "We'll be split up among the classes that way the target doesn't get too suspicious."

_**Karakura Middle School**_

Lilynette stretched in her chair and yawned.

_Great,_ she thought. _I'm becoming more like Starrk._

"Tired?" Yuzu asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Lilynette replied.

"Of course it is," Karin said and laughed.

"Yeah," Lilynette said. "Next thing you'll know, I'll be sleeping 25 hours a day, 8 days a week," she said and laughed.

"Alright class," their teacher said as she walked into the room. "Take your seats. Today, we have a new student joining us. She's joining us all the way from the States."

"Ooh, a foreign exchange student," Yuzu said and leaned forward. "I've always wanted to go to the States."

"I would rather go to Spain. They have a better soccer team," Karin said.

Lilynette leaned forward. The teacher went out and returned with a girl who looked rather shy. Lilynette's eyes went wide when she felt the Reiatsu coming off of the girl. She knew that it was the exact same feeling that she got when they were exposed to the strange Reiatsu that Mayuri collected off of the Hollow's remains.

"Hi," the girl said and smiled at them. "My name's Harper Bradbury Straub. I'm pleased to meet you."

_**Karakura High**_

"'The mind is its own place, and in itself

Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.'

This passage from _Paradise Lost_ is one of the most famous lines in all of Western Literature and one of the most provocative," Milton said. "It's essentially saying that what we view as being pleasant or torture is based on our perception and how our minds interpret it. The human mind is a world all to itself. From it, every work of human ingenuity and art flows in an effort to understand the world around us. Every culture is a product of the mind and its hopes and dreams and fears."

Ichigo sat listening to Milton Dante. He saw that most of the other students were intrigued. Uryu straightened his glasses as he wrote something in his notebook.

"Throughout History," Milton said, "artists and poets and writers and filmmakers have captured their culture's mindscapes in some medium. Now, you're probably familiar with some kind of work of Western Literature, whether it's through _Harry Potter_ or the works of Stephen King. I'm sure that you probably read them for fun or for the story or for an assignment. However, there are layers below that. A work of fiction is like an onion. It is layered and the best of them can get us to reflect on our own natures. A book is made up of shadows on their pages and these shadows tell us something about ourselves. All that we have to do is learn how to read them.

"Even those works that most Literary Critics dismiss have merit to them if you know how to look. It's true that there are works that don't have much depth to them, but they can still be enjoyed by those who wish to do so. However, works like _Twilight_ and _Left Behind_ are not all there is to the world. For those who like _Twilight_ would do very well to mature their tastes to include _Carmilla_ and _Dracula_ and the works of Arthur Machen and H.P. Lovecraft and _Wuthering Heights_. For those who may like something along the lines of _Left Behind_ would do well to read the works of C.S. Lewis and _Swan Song_ by Robert McCammon and _The Stand_ by Stephen King and the story 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. Of course, the works I mentioned can be enjoyed by anyone who's willing to read them and if it suits their tastes.

"Now, Miss Ochi left me a note saying that she would like you all to do a report on a book of your choice. However, books are not just meant to be enjoyed alone, but also together. In ancient times, stories were told to the tribe as a whole and were passed down orally before written language was created. Even in modern times, parents will sometimes read their children a story before putting them to bed.

"So, here's what we're going to do. Individually, you'll all read one work of fiction by an American or European author and do some kind of artwork based on that book or you can do a report or even make a small film. I'll be providing a list of possible works and authors for you to choose from. In groups of four, you'll be reading an assigned book and next week, each group will present a report before the class. In your report, I want you to include something about the author, the era they lived in, the story, the characters, and an overall analysis of what the novel says about humanity and our relation with the world around us. Instructions will be provided in the syllabus that I'll be handing out with the books in your personal binders. Finally, as a class, we'll be reading one of William Shakespeare's works. Now, I'm sure you're all familiar with the plays _Hamlet_ and _Romeo and Juliet_, but I would like us to go over _Macbeth_, which are being provided. Also, at the end of each day, I'll be passing out Xerox copies of an assigned story that you'll read. The next time we're in class, I'll include a small quiz to see how well you read it.

"Now, there are about 40 of you and I have five books assigned. That actually works out great since we'll have two groups presenting on the same novel and it would be interesting to see what each group sees in the same novel. Alright, I'll be coming around with a hat," he said and held up a Boston Red Sox cap. "Inside are 40 slips of paper numbered one through five. You'll each take out a slip of paper and get into the group you are with. Alright, let's get started," he said.

He went around and held the hat out to each student in turn. When all of the students finished, he went back to the front and pulled out the box he put under his desk. He went to the table next to him and began to pull out copies of books that he put into six separate piles. He then pulled out a pile of binders with sheets of paper already inside them. Ichigo guessed that those were the binders he mentioned earlier.

"Alright, when I call out your number, I would like for your group to come up and pick your book. I have enough copies for everyone so that way if you want to read a work from someone else's group, you may. Also, you will pick up your binder with your first assigned story, 'The Garden of Forking Paths' by Jorge Louis Borges, already in it. You will also pick up a copy of _Macbeth_. Alright, you'll have your choice between," he said and held up each book as they were called. "_The Picture of Dorian Gray_ by Oscar Wilde, _Of Mice and Men_ by John Steinbeck, _Lord of the Flies_ by William Golding, _The Turn of the Screw_ by Henry James, and _Heart of Darkness_ by Joseph Conrad.

"Now then, look at your pieces of paper and see what number you received."

Ichigo looked at his slip of paper and saw the number 5 on it. By the time his group, which included Orihime and Ulquiorra and Keigo, was called up, there was only one book left: _Heart of Darkness_.

_**Department of Research and Development**_

"So this is the work you did?" Mayuri asked as he looked at the disk.

"Of course it is," Szayel Aporro said. "And you better show some appreciation. The work I did actually helped me develop my edible Fraccion."

"I'm sure it did," Mayuri said and rolled his eyes.

"So…why are we here?" Nnoitora asked.

"It's because the Captain-Commander wanted you to deliver our findings to the others when you go to the World of the Living…imbecile," Mayuri said.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL US?" Grimmjow shouted.

"Would you please shut up?" Mayuri said. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get to the World of the Living and do whatever you barbarians like to do."

"Honestly, some people just have no respect for their betters," Szayel Aporro said.

"I would have to agree," Mayuri said. "Now then, let's see what we have."

"And I made the mistake in thinking that one Szayel Aporro was bad," Grimmjow moaned. "Two of them are even worse."

"No shit," Nnoitora said.

"Excuse me," Nemu said as she walked into the room. "Master Mayuri, Master Szayel Aporro, I came to inform you that the two assistants Master Szayel Aporro asked for have arrived."

"Really? Lumina and Verona are here already?" Szayel Aporro said. "Well, what are you waiting for, show them in."

"You're kidding," Nnoitora muttered. "He actually got those two sent here."

"I wonder if they'll still look like giant bouncing beach balls on legs," Grimmjow muttered.

"LUMINA! VERONA!" Szayel Aporro cried out. "IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

"It's good to see you too, Master Szayel Aporro Granz," two sing-song, feminine voices said in unison.

"What the…?" Nnoitora asked and turned. His eyes went wide. "Holy…"

"…SHIT!" Grimmjow shouted as he stared.

Lumina and Verona stood side-by-side. They were both dressed in a Soul Reaper uniform similar to Nemu's and it showed off their well-endowed and slender figures. One had her long black hair tied in a braid while the other had her shorter black hair tied into pigtails.

"Damn it, Szayel Aporro, we were right in saying you were insane," Nnoitora said. "How could you possible commit the sin of making two such sexy ladies into…into…?"

"…INTO BEACH BALLS ON LEGS?" Grimmjow shouted.

"You two really are idiotic if you can't figure that out. I'm a scientist and they're purpose was to assist me; not look pretty. Come along girls. Help us sort through this data."

"Right away, Master Szayel Aporro," Lumina and Verona said and bowed.

"Hey, maybe when they're done they can…clean our test tubes. If you know what I mean," Nnoitora said with a smirk and elbowed Grimmjow.

"I don't know," Grimmjow said. "They were made by Psycho Pink after all."

_**Karakura High**_

"I have to say that I like Mr. Dante as a teacher," Tatsuki said as they sat down for lunch.

"I know what you're talking about," Orihime said as she took out her copy of _Heart of Darkness_. She saw that Ulquiorra was already reading his own copy. "I like the idea of the group projects. It's just like one of those reading circles I've been hearing so much about."

"Oh, we had one of those in Las Noches," Harribel said. "It was a chance for some of us Arrancars to get together and talk about something other than Aizen's plans or war."

"I remember those," Starrk said.

"I'm surprised," Harribel said. "You normally just fell asleep in them."

"Well…I listened."

"Alright, what was the last book we covered before we went on Aizen's little suicide mission to the World of the Living?"

"Let's see, it was _A Farewell to Arms_ by Ernest Hemingway," Starrk said.

"Impressive," Harribel said and gave Starrk a peck on the cheek.

"I'm impressed," Uryu said. "I didn't realize that some of you Arrancars had good taste in Literature."

"Well, we also included a lot of popular books as well," Harribel said. "We read John Grisham and Stephen King and Stieg Larsson. In fact, one time Sung-Sun recommended a book called _The Damnation Game_ by Clive Barker."

"And here I thought you Arrancars had taste," Uryu said.

"Oh, I don't know about that," someone said.

They turned and saw Milton standing over them.

"Mr. Dante," Ichigo said. "What brings you here? We hardly ever see the teachers eating lunch outside."

"I know, they normally eat in the teacher's lounge," Milton said. "I prefer eating lunch outside. This seemed like a nice place."

"Would you like to join us?" Orihime asked.

"Oh no, I don't wish to intrude."

"Oh please, join us," Dr. Fleur said.

"Well, if you insist," he said and sat on the grass. "So, what were you talking about?"

"We were talking about books," Starrk said as he brought his own assigned book that Rukia picked out for her group, _Of Mice and Men_. "Harribel and I belonged to a kind of reading circle."

"Ah, I love reading circles," Milton said. "It's fun getting together with a group of people and reading books that someone has you pick up and then the next time you meet you discuss it. It's a great way to make new friends. In fact, that's what inspired me to do the group projects for you guys."

"I really like that idea," Orihime said. "I wish we could do it with all of the books we get assigned."

"Who's to say that you can't?" Milton asked. "Anyways, I'm glad to know that some of you guys like the idea."

"What are you reading?" Harribel asked as she noticed the book in his hand.

"It's _The Dark Half_ by Stephen King," he said.

"What's it about?" Rukia asked as she took a look at the cover which showed two birds, one upright and the other upside down, but the way their eyes were position gave the illusion of a face staring out at them.

"It's about a man divided into two," he said. "I guess you can call it a modernization of _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. Each part is fighting for the right to exist, but in order for that to happen, one must die."

Ichigo looked at the book. From the way it sounded, it described what he was feeling. He felt as though a war was going on inside him between himself and his Hollow Self. Rukia and Orihime also thought the same thing and they gave glances over at Ichigo.

"What happens?" Ichigo asked.

"In the end, he becomes whole again, but in a later novel Stephen King writes that the character never really got over what happened and he did not live happily-ever-after."

_**Outside Karakura High**_

Howard Machen looked at them through his opera glasses. He could see that Ichigo's Reiatsu was in an upheaval of some kind. However, his friends' Reiatsu were relatively steady. Then he felt someone's presence behind him. He stiffened and turned to face a man in a Soul Reaper uniform with a bald head.

"Well, you can see me," the Soul Reaper said.

Howard Machen stood up and held the lorgnette as though he was gripping a sword hilt. He smiled slightly.

"Good afternoon, Ikkaku Madarame," he said.

"You know my name?"

"I do."

"Huh, that's interesting. I don't remember telling you my name."

"Where's your friend, Yumichika?"

"He's making the rounds on the other side. May I ask what you're doing here…uh…what's your name?"

"I'm Howard Machen, I'm a Mangiatori."

"What the Hell's a Mangiatori?"

"It's just what we call ourselves."

"Is that so? That's good to know," Ikkaku said and he held out his Zanpakuto. "I challenge you."

"I refuse," Howard Machen said.

"What was that?"

"I refuse. I'm under strict orders not to engage in combat unless I have no other choice."

"Well, you don't have a choice. Now, bring out whatever weapon you use and fight me."

Howard shook his head and turned his back. Ikkaku looked at him and began to follow. Howard continued to walk until they reached a relatively quiet part of the park. He looked around and then stopped.

"From the way you followed me, I can assume that you intend to fight me. I didn't want to do it too close to the school in case it got out of hand."

"So…you…uh…Whatever have weapons?"

"It's part of our Risveglio, but I don't think you're all that familiar with it. It's awakened abilities that a Soul that has devoured either a Hollow or a Soul Reaper gains if their Soul is able to reform itself," he said and turned to face him. "This is my Risveglio." He held out the opera glasses by the lorgnette and he sighed. "See, Preconoscenza."

Ikkaku watched as the opera glasses turned into a silvery dust and then reformed into a thin, sharp blade.

"That's a nice trick," Ikkaku said and smiled. "But I don't think that blade can stand up to me."

"We'll see," Howard said and faced him. "Now, come at me."

"Alright then," Ikkaku said and yelled as he rushed him. As he brought his Zanpakuto down, Howard held up his sword in front of him and the clang of metal on metal sounded.

"One," Howard whispered.

Ikkaku swung again and Howard blocked the blow.

"Two," he said.

"What are you counting?"

"Three," Howard said and swung, hitting Ikkaku's blade. "Interesting, you can do a Bankai."

Ikkaku's eyes flew wide with surprise. He simply stood there, unable to believe what he just heard.

"What…what did you say?" Ikkaku asked.

"I said you that you can do a Bankai."

"How did you know?"

"My Risveglio's primary use is to gather information. When I look at you through the opera glasses, I can make out your Reiatsu levels, your name, your history, and basic statistics. However, when I fight an opponent, I can gather information on their abilities. One strike tells me their fighting method and style. The second strike tells me about their Shikai, from form to abilities. However, the third strike tells me whether or not they've achieved Bankai, and if so, what it is. Three strikes and I've gained all of the information I need to formulate a way to counter."

"Is that so?"

"Trust me. You don't want to try me."

"Why not?"

"It's because…" Howard began and then disappeared. Ikkaku looked in surprise and then he felt something pierce him from behind. "…there's no need to show you," Howard said from behind him.

"How?" he asked.

"The first thing I devoured before my awakening was a Soul Reaper," he said. "I'm sorry. But you lost."

Ikkaku fell, gasping for breath. He looked up and saw Howard standing over him. The sword was gone and was replaced with the pair of opera glasses with lorgnette that he was now returning to the inner pocket of his coat.

"You'll survive," he said. "I really hate to play tricks like that, but you left me no other alternative. You got a hold on my Reiatsu and you would have followed me. I merely canceled it out with that wound as well as make you forget what I told you about my Risveglio. It's another of my Risveglio's abilities. Now…you won't be able to track me and you won't remember a thing about my Risveglio.

"Ah, your friend's coming to check up on you. That's good. I hope you have a pleasant day," he said and was gone.

_**Department of Research and Development**_

Nnoitora and Grimmjow watched as the two mad scientists and their three sexy lab assistants continued pouring over the data. They were getting bored with having nothing to do but watch Aaroniero's two heads floating gleefully around in one of the specimen jars. They both thought it odd that the two heads seemed to like floating around in anything that resembled a lava lamp, but of course the former Novena Espada had always been a strange one to them.

"No, no, no," Szayel Aporro said. "You completely messed up on the formula on page 345."

"What are you talking about?" Mayuri asked. "You're the one who reached a false conclusion, or perhaps you misread a part of the problem."

"How…DARE YOU? You dare stand there and mock my ability to read such a simple formula?"

"Well…yes."

"Damn you, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. This is exactly why I hate you. You look down on me when it's obvious that I'm superior."

"Really? You downgraded yourself from 'Perfect Being' to 'Superior'. Well, at least it's a step in the right direction."

"GYAAAAAH!" Szayel Aporro screamed. "You're absolutely hopeless."

"Are you two finished yet?" Nnoitora asked. "We wanna get going before the fun ends."

"No shit," Grimmjow said.

"SHUT UP!" Mayuri and Szayel Aporro shouted together.

"Seriously, you two need to learn some patience," Szayel Aporro said.

"For once we agree on something," Mayuri said.

"Great, glad that we could help you two find some common ground," Grimmjow said. "Now would you please hurry up with your…whatever it is you're doing?"

"I suppose," Mayuri said. "NEMU get going on the analysis you lazy imbecile."

"Yes Master Mayuri," Nemu said in her monotonous voice.

"Lumina and Verona, I want you two to go over the notes and make sure they're all in order."

"Yes Master Szayel Aporro," the two said and got to work.

"This is…creepy," Nnoitora said.

"I know," Grimmjow said. "Two mad scientists and three monotonous drones in the same room is more than I can handle."

"THERE!" Szayel Aporro exclaimed in glee as the computer finished its own analysis of the data. "This is incredible," he said as he looked at the printout.

"I must say," Mayuri said. "This work is absolutely stupendous."

"Ah so even the 'Great' Mayuri Kurotsuchi admits that my work is stupendous."

"Don't get too full of yourself."

"Hmph, look who's talking," Szayel Aporro said.

"Great, so can you just give us whatever it is that you have so that way we can get out of here?" Grimmjow asked.

_**Urahara Shop**_

"So, you fought one of them and you can't tell us anything useful?" Kenpachi asked.

"That's right, sir," Ikkaku said. "He…he did something and I…I just have this large gap in my mind."

"Hmm, interesting," Kisuke said. "Yoruichi, have you heard of anything like this?"

"Well," Yoruichi said. "I know that some things can cause memory loss. From the way it sounds, whatever this guy did must have completely erased Ikkaku's memory of the confrontation except for his name."

"Yeah, he said his name was Howard Machen and that he was part of something called the 'Mangiatori'."

"Well, we got a name at least," Hitsugaya said.

"I'll run it through the database and see if anything comes up," Rangiku said.

"There's no need for that," Akemi said.

"What do you mean?" Rangiku asked. "We have to run this name through the database."

"Do you realize how many people with the names Howard and Machen would be in the database?" Akemi asked. "Squad 13 is partially responsible for maintaining the database. However, that's not the reason. I know where those names are from, thanks to my sister and her interest in writing."

"Get on with it," Hitsugaya said.

"My sister writes short stories that she publishes under a pseudonym. Her pseudonym is Arthur Lovecraft, named after her two favorite authors of macabre fiction: Arthur Machen and Howard Philips Lovecraft. Both dealt with stories of the occult and hidden knowledge. The Machen gave it away for me. And it confirms a theory that Dr. Fleur has."

"Go on," Hitsugaya said.

"She theorized that when a Soul evolves and gains abilities, they forget their real name. It only makes sense that they would take on a new name to replace the one they've lost. Although, I wonder how he took on that name. I mean, Lovecraft was greatly inspired by Machen and even used Machen's influence when he wrote 'The Dunwitch Horror' and 'The Call of Cthulhu'," Akemi said.

"That must be horrible," Yoruichi said. "They have no recollection of their names? What about their pasts?"

"It's hard to say," Akemi said. "But I would assume that they probably don't know their own pasts. Of course, I could be wrong on one or both counts."

"However, they are still a threat," Hitsugaya said. "What happened to Ikkaku only proves that we can't underestimate them. I suggest that we…"

"Captain, the Senkaimon," Rangiku said and pointed.

Hitsugaya looked and watched as the gates to the Seireitei opened. White light shone out and two Hell Butterflies flew through followed by two running figures.

"It seems like we're all here now," Hitsugaya moaned.

"WHAZZUP BITCHES!" Nnoitora screamed.

"THE BIG BOYS HAVE ARRIVED!" Grimmjow shouted.

_**Karakura Middle School**_

"So, did you have a good first day, Harper?" Yuzu asked.

"I did," Harper said, smiling at them. "Thank you for eating lunch with me and showing me around."

"Not a problem," Karin said.

"So, anyways, how would you like to come over some time?" Yuzu asked.

"Oh…I…I would love that, but I need to ask permission from my parents."

"I'm sure they'll be fine with it," Karin said. "Hey, maybe we should have a sleepover some time. What do you think, Lilynette?"

"Sure, I would love to," Lilynette said.

Lilynette didn't know what to make of this strange girl. She recognized the Reiatsu and knew that she wasn't normal, but she also knew that part of her mission was to keep an eye on Ichigo's sisters. She didn't think that Harper would do anything to hurt them…at least not on purpose. However, she knew that anything could happen when dealing with the unknown. That was why it was called "unknown."

"So, do you miss your friends back in the States?" Yuzu asked.

"I really didn't have that many friends," Harper said.

"Let me guess, it's because you're extremely shy," Karin said.

"Uh…yeah," Harper said and her face turned a bit red.

"Well, you have three friends here," Lilynette said and smiled at her.

"Really?" Harper asked and her face seemed to light up.

"That's right," Karin said.

"Hey, Lilynette!" Starrk called out as he made his way from the High School.

"Well, I better get going," Lilynette said. "Tell your dad 'thanks' for letting me stay the weekend."

"Not a problem," Karin said. "You know you're welcome back any time and you'll have to show me some of those techniques you talked about."

"Sure thing," Lilynette said and smiled. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow."

"See ya," Karin said.

_**Karakura High**_

"So anyways, I told him to back off, but when he didn't…I kicked him in the crotch," Emily said.

"Hell yeah," Tatsuki said.

"Wow, you're really courageous," Chizuru said. "Boys are such creeps."

"Honestly," Tatsuki said. "Some people find you pretty creepy."

"I'm not creepy…I'm bold."

"Creepy," Tatsuki said.

"Emily, are you ready to go?" Milton asked from his car.

Emily looked and saw that Harper was already in the passenger's seat.

"Coming, Uncle," she said. "Listen, I better get going. But let's meet up sometime that way we can get started on our project."

"Sounds good," Tatsuki said. "Anyways, here's my number," she said and held out a slip of paper to her.

"Thanks, Tatsuki," Emily said and smiled. "I'll be sure to give you my number tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Tatsuki said. "Have a good afternoon."

"Well, I'll try, but I'm sure my parents and Uncle will be driving me to do my homework."

"I'm sure they will," Tatsuki said. "Come along, Chizuru, let's go."

Emily watched as the two girls headed off and then made her way to the car. She got in and reached over to rub Harper's hair.

"Did you have a good day?" Emily asked.

"I did," Harper said and beamed at her. "I made three new friends today."

"That's good," Emily said and turned to Milton. "Ulquiorra knows something," she said.

"I know. He was probably sent here with Starrk and Harribel. Anyways, I got a message from Howard. He was forced to engage the enemy. Fortunately he was able to make the Soul Reaper forget most of what happened and to lose his trail."

"He had to use his Risveglio then," Emily said. "Well, at least that's better than the alternative."

"We're lucky his Risveglio can do that. Anyways, I called William and he's going to deliver the message tonight. Hopefully, it won't result in the situation becoming out-of-hand. So, I'm sending Charlotte make sure he stays in line."

_**Karakura Park**_

"So, that little girl's the one?" Starrk asked.

"Yes," Lilynette said. "The Reiatsu felt like an exact match."

"I don't like it," Harribel said. "I mean, she's just a child about the same age as Ichigo's sisters."

"I know what you mean," Starrk said. "Dr. Fleur, isn't there anything that we can do?"

"I don't know," Dr. Fleur said. "Remember, we're talking about an unstable form of Spirit Evolution. It's bound to the World of the Living and can therefore be dangerous for it. At this point, we don't know how much of a threat they pose."

Ichigo, however, was not paying attention to what they were talking about. Instead, his mind was waging a war with itself. He caught himself looking at Rukia and Orihime, desiring both and yet wanting to destroy both. He looked at Ulquiorra the way that one would a rival.

_You know you loved killing him the first time,_ his Inner Hollow said. _Be a good horse and do as I command. Kill him and take Orihime as my prize. I promise I won't hurt her…much._

_No._

_You can't refuse me. You know that I'm growing stronger. Look at your right hand._

Ichigo looked down and saw his right hand tightening into a fist and then loosening only to tighten again. He tried to make himself stop, but he couldn't.

_You see. If I can have this much control over you, then I can make you do what I want. I can make you rip that pale-faced bastard's head off in front of Orihime and Rukia. I can make you rip Rukia to shreds and take Orihime by force if I wish. Your time is running out, Ichigo Kurosaki. My time is coming closer._

_I won't let you._

_What makes you think you can stop me?_

_I have to._

_You won't succeed._

_I will because I have to in order to protect the ones I love._

_Oh and who do you love more? Do you love Orihime more or Rukia? I can make sure that you're denied both or I can make sure that you get both._

_You bastard._

_You do realize that you're calling yourself a bastard, right? Now then, give into your urges. Rush at Ulquiorra and tear him limb-from-limb. I know you want to. Do it and you'll be free. Just submit to me and you won't have to hear my voice again._

Ichigo closed his eyes and then felt a hand grip his own. He looked down and saw Lilynette looking up at him.

"You do know that he's lying," Lilynette said.

"What do you know about it?" Ichigo snarled and yanked his hand out of Lilynette's grip.

"I know more than you might think," she said. "Try this…when you sleep…focus on your Mother."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's what Zangetsu told me to tell you," Lilynette said and she rushed back to Starrk who looked at her somewhat confused.

_**Urahara Training Ground**_

"Alright, I'm glad to see that you're all back," Kisuke said. "Welcome back Ichigo, it's been a while."

"I need your help Kisuke," Ichigo said.

"I see," Kisuke said and looked at Yoruichi. "I'll help in whatever way I can. At any rate, Dr. Fleur, all of the former Espada are here."

"Ah, so these must be Nnoitora and Grimmjow," she said and smiled at the two new-comers who were leaning against one of the rock walls.

"Yeah, that's us," Nnoitora said.

"Anyways, we've got some news to tell our comrades," Grimmjow said and turned to the former Espada who were gathered.

"What is it?" Harribel asked.

"First of all," Grimmjow said. "You'll be happy to know that Rudobon's alright along with Skullak and the other Privaron Espada."

"I'm glad to hear that Skullak's safe," Starrk said. "Do you think we can pay a visit?"

"That's the thing," Nnoitora said. "Hueco Mundo is in a state of Civil War right now."

The other Espada were brought to silence. Starrk felt a whirl of emotions going on in his mind. He knew that during Aizen's reign, the other realms in Hueco Mundo were in a constant state of confusion and in-fighting over whether or not all of Hueco Mundo was a united Empire or if they should form their own kingdoms since Aizen's focus was only on Las Noches and destroying the Soul Society.

"What's going on?" Harribel asked.

"Where should I begin?" Nnoitora asked. "Let's see. We know that there are at least five factions."

"Yeah, and they're made up of Arrancars," Grimmjow said. "We wanted to fight, but for some reason our Zanpakuto wouldn't release."

"What are the factions?" Starrk asked. "Is one of them Lupos Starrk's?"

"Why would your brother be involved?" Harribel asked.

"We only know that one of them is Skullak's and the other's is Mordrath Luisenbarn."

"Baraggan's younger brother?" Ulquiorra asked.

"That's right," Grimmjow said. "Apparently the arrogant bastard's trying to get the Crown and Throne…again."

"So, Hueco Mundo is more than just Las Noches," Yoruichi said.

"Of course it is," Grimmjow said. "Shit, I'm sure my family's involved."

"Mine would be," Nnoitora said. "Wherever there's fighting, you can count on the Gilgas being there ready to…"

"…to stab whoever's left in the back," Starrk said.

"Damn right," Nnoitora said. "So long as dear old Dad can gain more advantage from it than from just letting whoever's left polish the Throne with their ass."

"Sounds like something from Medieval European History," Dr. Fleur said. "Anyways, let's get started shall we?"

"With what?" Grimmjow asked.

"Your training," she said. "I'm gonna make sure that you can all achieve Shikai."

_**Outside Urahara Shop**_

Akemi and Sachiko Amaterasu sat on the porch to the Urahara Shop. The sun was beginning to set when Rangiku came out.

"How are things out here?" she asked.

"Quiet," Akemi said.

"You can feel it," Sachiko said. "It feels like summer in Florida."

"Have you ever been to Florida?" Akemi asked.

"No, but that's how Dr. Fleur put it and she's been to Florida."

"I know what you mean," Rangiku said. "I feel as though I should take a bath or something to get this feeling off."

The other two nodded in agreement. They did not see the blonde-haired young man walking towards them.

_**Urahara Training Ground**_

"Wait a minute," Grimmjow said. "Are you telling me that SHE mastered Shikai?" he asked and pointed to Lilynette.

"What are you suggesting?" Lilynette asked and narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow.

"It is rather strange that out of all of us only Lilynette has mastered Shikai," Ulquiorra said. "However, it does make sense."

"How the fuck…DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE?" Nnoitora screamed.

"She's the equivalent of a Zanpakuto Spirit," Kisuke said. "She's now fully manifested to be able to exist in a human form, but she understands a Zanpakuto better than anyone."

"That's right," Dr. Fleur said and smiled.

"Did you know about this?" Harribel asked Starrk.

"Yeah, I did. I would have told you, but she swore me to secrecy about it," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "Lilynette why don't you show them your Shikai?"

"Yes, I wish to see this," Ulquiorra said.

"Fine," Lilynette said as she unsheathed her Zanpakuto. She held it flat in front of her and put her left palm under the blade, as though she was holding a rifle. "Howl, Los Lobatos," she said.

Her Zanpakuto began to let out an eerie glow. Then the shape began to change and a bright red mist rose to her left eye. When it cleared they saw that Lilynette held a blunderbuss with the muzzle shaped like a wolf's head. She wore a bright red sight over her left eye that was held place by a band decorated with a red flame.

"Look at what it can do," she said and aimed the muzzle at one of the stones. "Hado 1, Sho," she said and a burst of blue light flashed out. The stone flew backwards a good 25 feet.

"Damn, it can fire Kido spells," Grimmjow said and whistled.

"Not only that," Yoruichi said. "It intensifies the Kido spell by at least three times."

"It can even make it ten times stronger," Lilynette said. "Los Lobatos told me when I talked to her."

"You talk with your Zanpakuto?" Nnoitora asked and he looked at the Zanpakuto by his side.

"Of course," Lilynette said. "All Zanpakuto are a living entity. You just have to know how to listen and you'll earn their respect and service."

"It sounds insane," Grimmjow said although he didn't quite believe what he said.

"Thank you Lilynette," Dr. Fleur said and smiled at her. "You can reseal her now."

"Sleep now, Los Lobatos," Lilynette said and the gun and sight vanished and became her regular Zanpakuto again.

"Alright, that brings us to the method I'm gonna teach you. It's quite simple really. Sit down in a meditative posture with your Zanpakuto across your lap and put your hands on the hilt and tip."

The other former Espada looked at each other and shrugged.

"We might as well," Harribel said.

"This had better work," Nnoitora said. "I want to kill something."

"Is that all that you think about?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Of course it is," Nnoitora said and grinned. "I'm a Gilga after all."

"I hope I don't look like a complete idiot," Grimmjow said.

"Just get into position," Starrk said as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto and did as Dr. Fleur suggested.

"Fine, whatever," Grimmjow said.

When all five of them were in position Dr. Fleur held out her right hand. The charm bracelet let out a glow and then with a swift motion of her wrist, she was holding her Zanpakuto. She looked at each of them.

"The reason why the normal method didn't work for any of you is because your Zanpakuto used to be a part of you. This is why Lilynette was able to achieve Shikai while the rest of you weren't. She was a Zanpakuto and therefore could gain access to the Zanpakuto Realm. In order to master Shikai, you must earn the respect of your Zanpakuto and the only way to do that is to meet them in their domain.

"Since the normal way won't work for you, we'll have to go with Plan B," she said.

"What is 'Plan B'?" Grimmjow asked.

"This," she said and in a swift motion, she turned her Zanpakuto to where the hilt faced them and struck each of them on the forehead.

They didn't react in any way. Instead, they all slumped over. Lilynette looked at them.

"So…what happens now?" Kisuke asked.

"Well," Dr. Fleur said and looked at them as her Zanpakuto was re-sealed into the charm bracelet. She held it up and looked at it, remembering when she went through the process. "Let's just say they're in for a wild time."

**End of Chapter 7**

**Dr. Fleur V.O.: Profilo Dei Mangiatori**

**Kon: Hello, it's everyone's favorite Bleach Idol, Kon here. Dr. Fleur is here today along with Howard Machen of the Mangiatori.**

**Dr. Fleur: Hello.**

**Howard: Hello again.**

**Dr. Fleur: Today, we're going to be talking about your Risveglio, Preconoscenza.**

**Howard: Well, I'll tell you what I'm at liberty to say. It pretty much only takes three consecutive strikes for me to know everything I need to know about an opponent's attack, their Shikai, and (if they've achieved it) they're Bankai. When I wound them, I can make them forget what I want them to forget. That way, I can keep them from remembering my Risveglio's ability. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to do that now with you two since you now know. See, Preconoscenza.**

**Kon: Wait a minute. What are you...?**

**Dr. Fleur: Ow, that hurt.**

**Howard: Sorry about that, but it's only a scratch. You'll be alright.**

**Kon: Uh...where am I. Wait a minute, I have to do the Profilo Dei Mangiatori.**

**Dr. Fleur: I think we're out of time.**

**Kon: What...how's that possible? Did we do it and I just missed my cue?**

**Howard: Yeah...that's exactly what happened.**

**A.N.: Seven chapters down and now the confrontation between the Mangiatori and the Soul Reapers has officially begun. As for our dear former Espada, they're in for one crazy time as they face their Zanpakuto Spirits in order to achieve Shikai.**

**Howard Machen's ability to make his opponent to forget whatever he wants them to forget by wounding them was inspired by Tsukishima in the Bleach manga, however he does not have the ability to plant memories.**

**I'm currently working on a story that is focused on the Civil War in Hueco Mundo: "Blood on the Sand" so feel free to check it out.**

**Thank you for reading and please review.**


	10. Chapter 8: Wildnerness of the Zanpakuto

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 8: Wilderness of the Zanpakuto**

_The Blade in my hand_

_Has a Soul of its own_

_It's as cold as Death_

_It cries in the Wilderness_

_Waiting for me to call its Name_

Starrk opened his eyes and saw a painted sky. He sat up and saw the sun setting on a desert landscape. He looked around and saw that he was in the middle of a small town made of wooden structures and tents.

"Where am I?" he asked.

He couldn't be sure, but it looked like a town in a film like _High Noon_ or _The Magnificent Seven_ or _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_. He looked at himself and saw that he was wearing a pair of jeans tucked into a pair of cowboy boots. He was wearing a white shirt and a brown vest beneath a long tan duster. He picked up the black cowboy hat that was lying on the ground beside him. He got to his feet and saw a sign gently rocking in the dry desert breeze.

He went over to it and read the sign.

"You have got to be kidding me," he whispered.

Written on the sign were two words: LOS LOBOS.

_**Harribel**_

She heard the sound of waves and smelled the tang of salt air. She opened her eyes and saw sunlight shining through the palm leaves above her. She sat up and saw that she was wearing a long white dress that seemed to have been made of water. She stood up and looked at the bright blue sky. She noticed that some of the clouds took on the shape of a shark while others took on the shape of a wolf.

"What is this place?" she asked.

The wind and waves seemed to become louder to answer her. She closed her eyes and listened. She was a Harribel. She remembered her time along the coast of the Bone Sea in Hueco Mundo when she was a Hollow. Unlike her brother and sister who spent time learning how to hunt and kill other Hollows, she learned how to listen to the wind and waves. That skill never really left her. Instead, it seemed to have become stronger.

"Where am I?" she asked.

_Home,_ the waves said_._

"Which way should I go?" she asked.

_Follow,_ the wind seemed to say.

She nodded and followed the way the wind blew. She could hear the waves saying _Tiburón_.

_**Ulquiorra**_

He was surrounded by mountains. The sky above was like a maelstrom. The swirling black clouds were as dark as the wings he gained when he went into Resurrección. The flashes of bright green light that seemed to break the darkness reminded him of his Lanza del Relámpago. The mountains glowed with an eerie luminescence.

"So this must be the world of Murciélago," he whispered. "I must say, it is rather depressing. Well I suppose I should say 'Hello' to my Zanpakuto," he said and began to move.

_**Grimmjow**_

"Great, I was hoping for some place dry and I get a fucking rainforest," Grimmjow snarled.

The lush vegetation around him was damp with moisture from the hot and humid air. He felt his hair stick to his head. His body was covered in sweat. He saw that he was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white shirt.

"Why the fuck do I look like I'm on a safari?" he growled. "I should look like some kind of South American warrior; not some fucking tourist."

He looked around. He was glad that no one was around to see him dressed like this, especially Nnoitora. If Nnoitora saw him like this he would never live it down. He sighed and looked at the path ahead of him.

"Alright," he said. "I guess if I want to look cool then I better earn the right to look cool. Come on Pantera, where are you? Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Come out and play, Pantera."

_**Nnoitora**_

"Ow, my fucking head," he moaned as he got up. "I swear, if that bitch ruined my pretty face, I'll fucking knock her face in."

He looked around and saw that he was lying in the middle of a road in the middle of nowhere. He looked at the yellow line that divided the black-paved road in two. His eyes narrowed. He was sure that his Zanpakuto would live in something a bit more like a convent or a forest with plenty of leaves. He did not expect to stand in the middle of a desert highway with some kind of bar in the distance complete with motorcycles parked outside.

"Damn, just what kind of Zanpakuto is Santa Teresa?"

_**Lilynette**_

She knew the landscape around her well-enough. It had once been her place whenever she slept. The desert sands were like powdered crystal and the rivers were the like ribbons of silver glimmering under the moonlight. The cacti were like emeralds. In the distance, a wolf howled and Lilynette smiled.

"Los Lobatos," she called out. "I'm back."

The wolf howled again and Lilynette ran towards it. She began to wonder how the others would handle seeing their Zanpakuto Spirit for the first time.

_**Starrk**_

Starrk walked into the local saloon the way a clichéd cowboy would in the movies. He allowed the batwing doors to swing behind him as he walked with heavy footsteps. He lifted his head and allowed his eyes to roam over the scene.

"Well, I guess that didn't work," he sighed and yawned. "Maybe Los Lobos doesn't like anything too showy like that."

He looked around. He saw that it looked like any cliché saloon from any number of American Western films he saw except for the jukebox against the wall below a series of framed photos. He walked towards it and looked up at the photos and smiled. He saw that it was photos of those whom he called "friends". He saw a photo of Ukitake laughing as Sentaro and Kiyone were having another one of their arguments. Another photo showed Kyoraku raising a sake cup in a salute while Nanao stood behind him shaking her head. There were photos of those whom he got to know at the Academy and in the Soul Society. However, in the center was a photo of him, Lilynette, and Harribel at a beach, smiling. They looked like a family.

He remembered how as an Espada, he dreamed that one day they could smile like that. He believed that even a single moment of being free and happy like that would be enough. Now, just about every moment was like that. He reached out and touched the photo and smiled. He remembered how he and Harribel would sneak away from time-to-time and just look at the moon and talk about their dreams. That photo represented everything that he wanted and he knew that he had it now and he wanted to keep it.

_This is what I'm fighting to protect,_ he thought and looked down. That was when he noticed the message taped to the jukebox. The message was relatively short, but Starrk understood what it meant: "PLAY ME".

"So, Los Lobos loves music," he said and looked at the music selection on the jukebox.

There were a wide variety of music and artists on the jukebox. He saw a few from the band named Los Lobos and a few more by Metallica and even some Beethoven and Wagner. However, he immediately recognized the game. He had played it with Lilynette often where they would try to pick theme songs for themselves and the other would have to guess what it was. He remembered that Lilynette came up with the game after a mission to the World of the Living and she overheard a group of teenagers talking about what their theme songs would be and then they would play it on their cell phones or iPods.

"Alright, Los Lobos, so you picked a theme song for yourself and if I guess correctly, you'll show up," he whispered as he looked over his selection.

He immediately eliminated all of the Los Lobos songs since it was too obvious. He looked at the remaining selections and eliminated all of the non-Country music. He figured that if her world was a town from an American Western film, then it only made sense that her theme would be somewhat Country and yet also have an edge to it. He smiled when he saw that one option that he had in mind was still available. He only saw a couple of episodes of "True Blood" with Harribel and her friends, but the opening song always struck him as rather catchy and he would always find his foot tapping along to it. He pressed the buttons and he watched as the disc was lowered into the player itself. After a moment, "Bad Things" by Jace Everett began playing. He listened to it until as Jace Everett sang the Chorus he heard a female voice sing along behind him.

"I wanna do bad things with you," Jace Everett and Los Lobos sang.

He turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway. She wore a long brown fur cloak that she wore over a tight pair of deerskin shorts that reached to mid-thigh with a thin lining of silver fur at the bottom of the short leggings and a silver fur vest that barely covered her breasts. She wore two gun belts around her waist and knee-high black boots with silver fur trim at the top. Her black hair fell to her shoulders except for her silver bangs that were combed to frame both sides of her face. Her silvery blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Starrk noticed that something was causing her cloak to move from underneath.

"So, you're Los Lobos," he said and sighed.

"That's right," Los Lobos said and smirked as she eyed him up and down. "So, you're Coyote Starrk. You're a lot cuter in person." She licked her lips and her eyes sparkled with an even greater mischief.

"Uh…thanks," he said, not really knowing what to make of his Zanpakuto.

"It's about time you came to visit me. It gets so…lonesome around here," she said and before Starrk could react, she was cuddling right next to him. "Hmm, so warm," she sighed as she slipped off her brown cloak. She pressed herself firmly against him and Starrk backed away a bit.

"Sorry, but…I'm already seeing someone."

Los Lobos looked at him and burst out laughing.

"I know you are, silly. Oh by the gods, you should have seen the look on your face and you turned so red too," she said and grinned. "Can't a Wolf have a little bit of fun every now and again?"

"Well…I guess," Starrk said.

"YOU GUESS?" Los Lobos cried out and hit Starrk on the head.

"Ow, that hurt. Now I know where Lilynette gets her mean-streak from."

"Of course she got it from me," Los Lobos said and sniffed. "Too bad she didn't get my beautiful hair though," she said and ran a finger through her black hair. "Or my beautiful tail," she said.

"Your…tail?" Starrk muttered and then noticed the long silver tail that was swishing back and forth.

"What?" Los Lobos asked, sounding a bit like Rangiku for a moment. Starrk tried to keep from laughing, but failed. "Oh so you find me hilarious now?" Los Lobos asked and one eyebrow began to quirk in frustration.

"Sorry," Starrk said. "It's just that…just that…you reminded me a bit of one of Bel's friends."

"Tch, for your information, I am Los Lobos and not that blonde cow," she said and pointed to the photo of Rangiku who was giving Hitsugaya one of her notorious hugs. She looked at Starrk who was still smiling slightly and Los Lobos shook her head. "So, you came here to master Shikai, right?"

"That's right," Starrk said and looked at the photo of him and Harribel and Lilynette as well as the other photos.

"You know, that wall was empty once," Los Lobos said.

"I know."

"That's why you came here. You want to protect your pack."

"Not just my pack," Starrk said and looked at her. "They're my family now."

Los Lobos smiled at him and the gleam of mischief was in her eyes.

"In that case…let's have some fun."

_**Harribel**_

Harribel made her way along the shore. The sea breeze felt good on her face. She closed her eyes and sensed the wind shifting. She opened her eyes and saw a beach house in front of her. It was rather small; little more than a cottage. She made her way towards it and walked up the three wooden steps that led to the wrap-around veranda.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. The sight she saw surprised her, but was not completely unexpected. The scene through the doorway was like an underwater coral reef. She saw brightly colored fish swimming through the coral. Sunlight shone through the surface and seemed to shimmer as it broke in the water. She stepped forward and found that she could easily breathe underwater. She looked behind her and saw that the beach was still there. She smiled as she moved forward.

She saw that it wasn't just a coral reef down here. She saw forests and mountains and deserts surround her, but all had that same underwater glow to them. She saw birds fly high above and once she saw a wolf stop and look at her. When she looked into the wolf's eyes she thought she saw Starrk staring back at her. The wolf made its way towards her and then rubbed itself against her legs. She bent and stroked the wolf's soft silver fur.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She rose and turned. Her jaw dropped at the figure standing beside her. He was tall and muscular. His skin seemed to glow like bronze. His long sea-blue hair was streaked with strands of sea-green that seemed to shimmer as it fell in waves to his broad shoulders. He wore a necklace made of sea shells and shark teeth. He wore a long silvery-grey cloak that was like the skin of a shark. He wore a skirt made of sea weed with shells for decoration. He wore a crown that seemed to be made of coral and pearls. Hanging at his side was a conch.

"You're Tiburón," Harribel said.

"And you are Tia Harribel," he said and looked at her with his eyes that seemed to hold all of the various colors of the ocean and danced like waves. However, there was nothing joyous about him. He was the type who was solemn and could become as dangerous as an ocean storm. "You are here to achieve Shikai."

"That's right," she said and bowed.

"Why do you bow?"

"I was told that it is how to show respect."

"It is the sign of servitude. To master Shikai, you must first master your sword. Are you the sword and I the master?"

"No," Harribel said and looked at him. "However, the master must also show respect to their blade. Otherwise, how will they trust each other in battle?"

Tiburón looked at her and nodded his head.

"It is alright to show respect sometimes. However, you are the master. At least, that's how you think it should go. But can one truly master the sea? Can one truly master the Shark? A Wolf can be tamed," he said and looked at the wolf by Harribel's side. "But a Shark must never become tame otherwise they die."

"Are you saying that my love for Starrk is killing me?"

"I'm saying that your love for the Wolf is holding you back from reaching your true strength."

"On the contrary," Harribel said, becoming angry. "My love for the Wolf is making me want to become stronger."

Tiburón looked at her and nodded again.

"A Shark is stubborn, but for a Shark to show loyalty is unheard of. A Shark is ruthless because the world it lives in is ruthless."

"You mistake me for my brother and sister. I am not like them. A Shark must keep on swimming to survive. In that regard, a Shark shows perseverance and strength. That's the type of Shark I am."

"We'll see."

_**Ulquiorra**_

He saw the pale luminescent glow ahead. His eyes grew wide as he remembered the first time he saw that glow. It was how he became an Arrancar. It was the traditional way for a Hollow who was ready to become an Arrancar to tear their mask in some way and the way that was considered the most sacred was by using any of the Crystalline Groves.

"I know this place," he muttered. "This is where I became an Arrancar."

"That is correct," a soft, mournful voice said.

He turned and saw her. She was extremely slender and her extremely pale skin had green markings that flowed from under her eyes like tears and continued to her breasts where they branched out like roots. Her long hair was as black as a raven's wing. She wore a long, shimmering, low cut black gown that seemed to be made of storm clouds with silver embroidery. Her emerald green eyes had golden slit pupils and seemed to shimmer with the light of an approaching storm. He then saw that while she mostly looked like a young woman, her feet resembled those of a bat and from behind her was a pair of large bat wings that looked like storm clouds and he could see flashes of blue lightning flowing through them.

"Am I to understand that I'm in the High North?" Ulquiorra asked. "I remember being sent there by my father and I came across a Crystalline Grove, but I never remembered how to get back there."

"You worry too much about the past," Murciélago said, "and not enough about the present, Ulquiorra Schiffer. Your House Words should have been more than adequate to tell you what is truly important in mastering your Zanpakuto."

"Bring the Storm," Ulquiorra said. "I do not understand. What do my House Words have to do with anything?"

"What does it mean by 'Bring the Storm' or have you forgotten?"

Ulquiorra thought back to what his father told him about the Schiffer Words. He remembered his father told him that it was both a challenge and a promise. However, he couldn't remember what it all meant.

"I cannot recall," Ulquiorra said.

"Then you do not know yourself," Murciélago said. "I cannot serve someone who does not know who they are. You always identified yourself as Ulquiorra Schiffer, but you do not understand what it truly means to be Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"And you do?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Apparently I know you better than you know yourself."

"Then help me find my true self," Ulquiorra said. "I want to know who I truly am."

Murciélago looked at him and then jumped from the cliff top where she stood. As she beat her wings, a strong wind like a storm seemed to flow from them. When she landed, her taloned feet dug into the dirt. A storm surrounded him as her wings seemed to enclose him.

"I will do as you ask," Murciélago said. "But if you do not find your true self, then you will be destroyed. I have no use for anyone who is unable to wield me because they cannot wield themselves first."

_**Grimmjow**_

"Oh, and if you look over here," Grimmjow said. "You'll see more trees. Alright folks, fucking tour's over. All there is out here are a bunch of trees and flowers that'll sting you if you're not closer. Shit, this sucks," he moaned and sat down. "Like all of the other fucking trips I took to a rainforest. HEY PANTERA, I'M A FIGHTER NOT SOME TREE-HUGGER!"

From somewhere, a parrot shrieked and Grimmjow growled.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion. Shit, shouldn't there be some ruins full of traps or something like that? If I'm gonna be dressed like this," he said and pulled his extremely damp away from his body. "I want to at least play Indiana Jones. Or better yet…CHANGE THIS TO A FUCKING WET T-SHIRT CONTEST!"

"Nnoitora," a parrot from one of the trees said and fell silent.

"I DARE YA TO SAY THAT TO ME!" Grimmjow yelled at the parrot. "Shit, I must be going crazy if I'm starting to talk to a fucking parrot."

The parrot looked at Grimmjow and then flew to him and landed on his shoulder.

"Great, now I'm a fucking pirate."

"Left," the parrot said.

"Huh?"

"Left."

"Are you…giving me directions?"

"Left, dumbass."

"Alright, I heard ya the first time," Grimmjow said too shocked to let a parrot calling him a "dumbass" bother him.

He looked and saw the trail on his left. He sighed and followed the directions that the bird gave. He didn't know how long he had been walking before he reached the clearing and his eyes became wide. Ahead of him was a tall Aztec pyramid that was covered in vines. He looked at the path before him and saw that it was a long road lined with stone statues of panthers.

"Now this is more like it," Grimmjow said and grinned. He was obviously not thinking of the horror novel _The Ruins_ or the film that was made from it. He was thinking more of the beginning of _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. "Treasure, here I come," he said and began to rush forward.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Grimm-Kitty?"

"Okay, who…called…me…GRIMM-KITTY?"

"Over here, dumbass."

He turned and saw the parrot perched on a branch.

"My Zanpakuto…is a frickin' parrot?" Grimmjow asked confused.

"Oops, forgot to change," the parrot said.

Suddenly a glow surrounded the parrot. Grimmjow had to cover his eyes in order to handle the brightness that only grew until it took on a human aspect. The glow brightened for a final time and then dimmed. When Grimmjow looked again he was absolutely astonished at what he saw. Crouching in the branch where the parrot was perched was a slender female. She jumped down and landed as gracefully as a cat. When she stood up, Grimmjow just about had a nosebleed.

Even though she was slender, her muscles were well-toned. She wore a pair of tight white-leather pants that went down to her knees that had red flames embroidered on the sides from the hem to the top of the thighs. Her pants were tucked into a pair of knee-high white boots that were also decorated with a red flame design that came up from the heel to the top of the boots. She also wore a short, white sleeveless vest with green trim and white fur at the collar that brought attention to her torso's curves. She wore long white fingerless gloves that reached to her elbows. Her turquoise hair was extremely short and stuck out all over the place. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled with mischief and a desire to destroy. Grimmjow was not at all surprised to see a long white tail twitching behind her.

"There, that's much better," she said and bared her cat-like teeth at him. "Welcome to my world, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

"Now you're more of what I was expecting," Grimmjow said and gave his signature smile.

"Is that so?" Pantera asked and she licked her lips. "Well, let's get this party started."

_**Nnoitora**_

"Damn, my Zanpakuto must have good taste," Nnoitora said as he examined the motorcycles parked outside of the bar. "HOLY SHIT! Is that a Triumph TR5 Trophy?"

Nnoitora reached out and touched the type of motorcycle that the Fonz and James Dean rode. His eyes went wide when he saw that parked next to the Triumph TR5 Trophy was a Triumph 6T Thunderbird, the type of motorcycle that Marlon Brando rode in the film _The Wild One_.

"Damn, and a wide variety of Harley-Davidson and even Suzuki," Nnoitora moaned in pleasure. Motorcycles were the only thing about the World of the Living that he actually liked. For him, they represented everything that he was about: not taking shit from anyone.

"This wasn't at all what I was expecting."

"What were you expecting? A fucking convent in the mountain or perhaps you would prefer a fucking forest with Bambi and Thumper and all that happy crappy?"

Nnoitora turned and his eyes widened in surprise. Standing beside a Harley-Davidson 2004 Heritage was a woman who was rather on the small side. She wore black leather shorts under a pair of brown leather riding chaps that went down to the tops of her black leather kinky boots that were decorated with red flames. She wore a thick black leather belt with a silver buckle that was made to look like a grinning skull. She wore an unbuttoned short black leather vest over a white tank top and a black leather choke collar around her neck with metal spikes. She wore a black leather cap with a silver skull on the front. Nnoitora noticed that while her hair on the right side of her head was black and short, the hair on the left was longer and dyed a bright red and it hung down to cover her left eye.

"You gotta be fucking kidding," Nnoitora said. "Santa Teresa is a…BIKER CHICK!"

"Were you expecting me to be Mother fucking Teresa? Tch…that's so typical of you. But listen up. You're in my world now. And here, you're _my_ bitch, Bitch."

"Is that right?"

"That's right. Or do you have a problem with listening to me? I guess the only way to make sure you pay attention to me is to…KICK YOUR ASS!" she shouted and rushed at him.

_**Starrk**_

"Alright, so what do I have to do?" Starrk asked.

"That's easy," Los Lobos said. "You have to catch me."

"What?"

"You heard me. You have to catch me and you only have an hour to do it."

"What happens if I don't?"

"Then you lose, duh."

"I hope that the penalty for losing isn't the same as Kyoraku's Zanpakuto."

"Yeah…that wasn't very fun. I had to recreate this world from scratch when I woke up. But…playing a game of Chase the Devil _is_ fun. Sogyo no Kotowari taught it to me and we love playing it here. It's about time you played it as well."

"So you're doing this just for fun?"

"Well duh…what other reason is there?"

Starrk noticed the gleam in her eyes and knew that Los Lobos was playing with him. He had only played Chase the Devil a couple of times with Lilynette, but he knew the basics. Los Lobos would run from him while he gave chase. He sighed and rubbed his head.

"I suppose," Starrk said. "But I was expecting something like a contest to see who could draw their gun the fastest or something like that."

Los Lobos smiled.

"Come on, Starrk. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. And I wanna play."

"I guess," Starrk said and sighed.

"Good, now before we begin, let's put some music on. That should make the time go faster."

"Are you insane?"

"Nope, I'm just mischievous. Now, let's see," she said and turned to the jukebox. "I think that 'I Chase the Devil' by Max Romeo should do."

"And here I thought you would do a Country song."

"Nah, I don't really like Country. Although, I do make exceptions for those that are a bit down and dirty like 'Bad Things'. Now then, here are the rules. First, you must find me and grab me within a one hour time limit. Second, the area that we play is the limits of this lovely little town and the surrounding hillside. Now then, let's get started," she said and pushed the button.

As the Caribbean sounds of Max Romeo filled the saloon, Los Lobos became a large silver and brown wolf and rushed off. Starrk sighed and gave chase.

_**Harribel**_

Tiburón looked at Harribel and his eyes narrowed. He turned and began to walk away.

"Follow me," he said.

"Where are we going?"

"To the place where you must prove you're worthy to wield me. Some Zanpakuto are more willing to accept their masters than others. Los Lobos believes that achieving Shikai is nothing more than a game and so she treats it as such. But I am not Los Lobos. I am Tiburón and like the Shark, I must see if you're capable of surviving on your own."

"I AM!" Harribel roared.

"Then why did you die? Why did you let Aizen cut you down?"

"I…I…"

"You don't know, but I do. Because like most creatures, the Shark cannot stand being alone. Most types of sharks live in a community, but they must also know how to survive on their own. Sometimes, that requires sacrifice."

"I know about sacrifice," Harribel said. "My main soul died in childbirth and so I was born into Hueco Mundo without a womb. When I first met Starrk, he had divided himself into two souls in order to escape Loneliness, but then he had to exile himself when his Reiatsu levels became too much for our comrades to handle. When I met Aizen, he saved me from being attack by the younger Tiburón brother and so I followed him out of gratitude and in hopes of being able to protect my comrades. Then he betrayed us all. We died in his service and he just spat on our graves. That is what sacrifice is."

"You think you know sacrifice," Tiburón said and shook his head. "Sacrifice is doing what we have to do in order to serve the greater good. Sometimes, the greater good only proves to be the greater evil. Sacrifice is blind and is often pointless. It's time for you to end sacrificing yourself. That's the only way for you to earn my service."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll see."

Harribel sighed and continued to follow him. She began to notice that it was becoming more difficult to breathe and she could now feel the pressure building around her. She looked to her side and saw that the wolf was still following her, but now the wolf was beginning to show signs of the building pressure.

"Go," she said. "You must leave or you'll die."

But the wolf did not leave. Instead, the wolf only continued to follow her deeper into the growing darkness around them. Tiburón stopped and looked at her.

"Do you understand?"

Harribel looked and saw that the wolf was in pain. Her heart began to ache. She stopped and tried to make the wolf leave her, but it refused to leave her side. Tears began to flow from her eyes and she embraced the wolf. The feel of its soft fur was a comfort and its warm tongue on her face felt like the caresses that Starrk would give her. She knew what this was. The memory of Starrk falling filled her mind.

"I caused his death," she moaned. "I caused him to die. He…he said that he did not wish to fight, but when he heard that I was going, he…he followed me."

"That's right. Love requires sacrifice and you both died because of it. Love is for fools."

"No," Harribel said. "Love is for the strong. It requires such strength to be willing to sacrifice everything for the one you love."

"Then what are you willing to do for the one you love?"

"I am willing to swim through blood and fire for him. I am a Harribel and our Words are 'Through Blood and Fire'. It means that we're willing to go through anything to get what we want and I want to be with Starrk more than anything else."

"Then you will have to prove it."

They continued deeper into the darkness. The sunlight was now completely gone and all around them was a crushing weight as the water built up around them. Harribel found that she was beginning to struggle to walk and was forced to her knees. The wolf whimpered and Harribel wrapped herself around it. Tiburón only continued to walk as though this was perfectly normal for him. She moved as best she could and then she saw a faint glow coming from somewhere ahead.

She strained to see what it was and she gasped. Before her were the ruins of a once great city. In the middle was a great Temple and lying in the great courtyard was a submarine that looked be from the Imperial German Navy. She could barely make out the U-29 on the side. She wondered how a World War 1 German U-Boat ended up down here and decided that it didn't really matter. She followed Tiburón to the steps and walked up them to the open doors. A pale luminescent glow filled the doorway and the windows and she became afraid.

"You must enter."

"What will I find in there?"

"Blood and fire."

Harribel nodded. She stepped into the doorway and looked to the side where she saw a pale-faced man dressed in an old-fashioned diving suit lying in the doorway. His eyes were completely black and a look of horror filled his face. Harribel looked forward and sighed as she walked into that damnable light.

_**Ulquiorra**_

"So all I have to do is go in there?" Ulquiorra asked and he looked at Murciélago.

"That is correct," Murciélago said. "When you are inside, you will be shown what you need to see. If you wish to wield me, then you must show that you understand what it means to 'Bring the Storm.'"

"What happens if I do not?"

"Then you will be lost," Murciélago said.

"You sound as if you do not really care what happens to me."

"I do not. No matter what the results are, the same thing happens in the End. We all return to the Golden River."

"What is this Golden River?"

"It is the source of all Spiritual Energy. It is the notes of the Three Songs. It is the thread that the Loom uses to weave all things into existence. It is the thing from which all things flow and to which all things return to be renewed. When you died, it was where you went to await your rebirth into the Soul Society. You know it as the 'In-Between.' It goes by other names. Jung called it the 'Universal Sub-Conscious' and Christians call it 'Heaven' and Buddhists and Hindus call it 'Nirvana'. John Milton called it 'His dark materials'.

"However, you wish to know how to achieve Shikai. The answer is from Milton. 'So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear.'"

Ulquiorra thought about it and then nodded. He remembered believing that Nihility was absolute happiness since when you had nothing you had nothing to lose. However, meeting Orihime made him think differently. He sighed. If he was to understand who he truly was, then he would have to face whatever the Crystalline Grove showed him. He allowed himself to sink into that abyss.

_**Grimmjow**_

"So, you're telling me that I have to go in there and fetch Pantera?"

"That's right," Pantera said and nodded.

"Tch…you're right here. Shouldn't I be fighting you or something like that?"

"Aw, where's the fun with that? Besides, you said you wanted to play Indiana Jones and this temple is specially designed to fulfill your Indiana Jones fantasies."

"Does that include a beautiful woman for me to kiss at the end?"

"Of course it does. I should warn you that if you try to kiss her before the end she'll turn into a snake and bite your head off."

"Lovely," Grimmjow said. "Hey…where's the hat? I can't be Indiana Jones without the hat?"

"I got it right here," Pantera said and held out Indiana Jones's hat to him. "And you even get the whip too. But I want the whip back. That way I can play a little game with Senbonzakura."

"Who's Senbonzakura?"

"Captain Kuchiki's Zanpakuto," Pantera said and grinned. "Come on, you were the former sixth Espada and Kuchiki's the Captain of Squad Six. It only makes sense that Senbonzakura and I get together."

"I don't even want to know," Grimmjow said as he put the hat on. "Can I at least take some treasure with me?"

"Nope. The rule is that you go in and retrieve Pantera. If you touch anything else, you will meet with a horrible death."

"But that's the thing. If you're Pantera, then how could Pantera also be in there?"

"Just shut up and get going," Pantera said. "Oh…I forgot to tell you. If you're not out in one hour, I'm blowing the whole place up. Have fun."

"Wait a minute. WHAT WAS THAT LAST PART?"

However, Pantera was gone and Grimmjow sighed.

"Damn, I can't believe that I actually have to do this," he said and he raced up the steps.

_**Nnoitora**_

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Nnoitora shouted as he dodged another attack from Santa Teresa.

"No…I'm just fucking PISSED OFF!" Santa Teresa yelled as she launched herself again.

"What for?"

"For you being an asshole. You don't listen to me when I'm trying to help you. You don't appreciate me. You think that I'm nothing more than a weapon for you to use. In short…I fucking hate you."

"Whoa, hold on," Nnoitora said. "Don't I at least get a weapon?"

"What's wrong with fighting hand-to-hand? Oh wait. That's right. You're a guy. Guys like playing with their swords."

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow."

"Shut up. You're so crude. No wonder why none of the women wanted you."

"What are you talking about? I'm the chick magnet of Hueco Mundo."

"No you're not. You're nothing more than a chauvinistic asshole and I'm gonna kick your ass."

"I'd like to see ya try, Bitch."

"Honestly, I swear that you men never listen to us. I already made it clear that this is my world and here you're my bitch, Bitch. So you better bend over and spread those cheeks 'cause I'm gonna fuck you up royally."

"With what?"

"With this," Santa Teresa said and grabbed one of the motorcycles with a single hand. When she raised it, it became the crescent-bladed halberd he remembered using as an Espada.

"How the…?"

"Go ahead and pick your weapon, Bitch," Santa Teresa said and gestured to the motorcycles.

"Oh…I get it," Nnoitora said and smirked. "This is your way of showing that I ain't that strong. Well guess what. I'm the strongest, and I'm gonna prove it."

He looked at the motorcycles and tried to pick one up with a single hand. However the bike wouldn't move. He looked at it from the corner of his eye and frowned. He tried again, but the bike still wouldn't move.

"What's the matter? I thought you said that you were the strongest."

"Damn it, just shut up already," Nnoitora hissed and he tried again using both hands, but the bike still wouldn't budge. "THIS AIN'T FAIR!" he shouted and kicked the bike.

"Hey, watch the paint job. If you damaged it, you're paying for the repairs."

"SHUT UP!" Nnoitora yelled. "You said that this is your world, right?"

"Wow, you actually remembered something I said," Santa Teresa said as she rolled her eyes.

"That means that you can control what happens in it."

"Well duh. A five year old would have figured that out a long time ago."

"Then you're making sure that I don't get a weapon. YOU'RE CHEATING!"

"I knew you were a bitch, but I didn't think you were such a whiney li'l bitch. Damn it, Nnoitora. I'm not the one who's cheating. You're the one who's cheating."

"What are you talking about?"

"You always yell out how you're the strongest when it's clear that you're not. You were killed by that Kenpachi guy who's just as arrogant as you. Strength is not just about standing and fighting. Strength is also being willing to bend the knee to someone who's worthy."

"That's not strength. THAT'S WEAKNESS!"

"Only an idiot would think that bending the knee is always a sign of weakness. Do you want to know something? When we Zanpakuto talk about our masters I always tell them that you're the best and the worst of them. I admit that sometimes I'm jealous of Los Lobos and Tiburón because their masters actually listen to them. You're the worst because you don't. You treat me like a tool for you to use and not as an extension of yourself. However, you're the best because you have pride. But your pride has become arrogance and I must take you down a few pegs.

"If you really want to fight me then admit to yourself and to me that you're nothing without me."

"I won't."

"Then I guess I have no other option," Santa Teresa sighed and then launched herself at him. "I'M GONNA HAVE TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

_**Starrk**_

He followed the wolf's howl, but it seemed as though it moved to a different location. He tried to use Sonído one time and found that he couldn't. Los Lobos was not going to make this easy for him. He heard a wolf howling and he began to head in that direction, but then ten minutes later, it came from a completely different direction. Starrk stopped and shook his head.

"No, their different wolves," he said. "None of them are her. She's using the wolves are decoys."

He sighed and looked around him. That was when he realized that there was something familiar about the surrounding hillside. He examined it, trying to remember where he had seen them before. He looked at the sky and imagined it completely black with only a crescent moon giving light. Then he realized what was so familiar about it.

"Of course," he said. "They build their worlds on our memories."

He began to run. He knew where to find Los Lobos and if he was right then she would not try to run. This wasn't Chase the Devil, it was Hide and Seek.

"She knew I would figure it out," he said. "Although, I must say it was rather dirty of her."

_**Harribel**_

She felt something lick her face. She opened her eyes and saw the wolf licking her face.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

The wolf only gave a short bark before licking her face again. She rubbed the wolf's fur and stood up. She recognized it as Karakura Town. She began to wonder why she was here. She looked up and saw the sky open and Aizen step out with Gin and Kaname on either side of him. She gasped.

"This is…no…it can't be."

"I see that we made it on time," Captain-Commander Yamamoto said.

"Why would you say something like that?" Aizen asked. "I know perfectly well this isn't the real Karakura Town. This may come as a surprise to you, but that doesn't really matter to me. Starrk, Baraggan, Harribel, come forth."

She watched as the battle unfolded. She watched as Sung-Sun, Apacci, and Mila Rose fought Rangiku while she fought Captain Hitsugaya. It was odd seeing the battle as an observer.

"No, I must…I must stop this. If there's some way to stop it, then…"

Then the world became covered in fire and filled with blood, but the battle continued. She watched in horror as her comrades ripped off their left arms to create Ayon. She watched as Ayon was destroyed by Yamamoto and then her comrades tried to attack him.

"NO! APACCI, MILA ROSE, SUNG-SUN, DON'T!" she cried out. She tried to reach them, but the sea of blood and fire stood in her way. She tried to push forward, but the more she tried, the hotter and more intense it became until it became unbearable.

"I thought you said that you would swim through blood and fire for those you love," Tiburón's voice said.

"I tried," Harribel whispered as she watched her comrades burned by the flames of Ryujin Jakka.

"Trying is not the same as doing."

"I…I know," Harribel said.

She looked up and saw Starrk fighting Kyoraku. She knew what was going to happen. She made her way forward. The blood and fire became hotter, but she was not going to fail. She would swim through this sea of fire and blood. She watched as Kyoraku cut Starrk across the chest. Tears came to her eyes as she watched Starrk fall. The pain became intense for her and she felt something cold and wet nuzzle her hand. She looked down and saw the wolf next to her.

"I know what I have to do," Harribel said. "I can't change the past. But I can do what I wanted to do then."

She moved forward until she stood where Starrk lay dying on the ground. She looked around and found herself surrounded by flames, but she could not feel the pain anymore. She brought all of her focus on Starrk. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Bel…is…is that you?"

"It's me," Harribel said. "Starrk, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't decided to go with Aizen, then…then you wouldn't have died."

"It's not your fault," Starrk said and smiled as he caressed her cheek. "It's no one's fault. These things just happen. I…I love you Bel."

"I love you, Starrk," she said and then the vision was gone. Only fire and blood remained.

_**Ulquiorra**_

Ulquiorra opened his eyes. He was standing in the midst of a great hall of marble. A grand staircase stood before him and hanging on the wall on the landing was the banner of House Schiffer. A pale female with black bat wings stood wreathed in flames of dark green and holding a lance the same color as one of his Lanza del Relámpago on a grey field.

"I know this place. This is the Court of House Schiffer."

"Ulquiorra," a far distant voice said. He turned and saw him as a Vasto Lorde standing in the dessert. His face was fully masked, but even then he had those green markings under his eyes. He realized that he was looking at himself. "Bring the Storm."

"I do not understand."

"Is that so?"

He turned around and saw a sever looking man with his mask remnant in the form of a shikoro, the series of plates at the back of a Samurai's helmet, that seemed to grow out from the back of his head.

"Father, is that you?" Ulquiorra asked.

"What did I tell you about our Words? Are you a Schiffer or not? We bring the storm and we challenge anyone to bring the storm to us."

"I know that, but I…"

"Ulquiorra-kun!"

He turned and saw Orihime standing in front of him.

"No. Do not call me that," he said. "I…I am not really human. Do not address me as you would a human," Ulquiorra muttered.

"But you're a Soul Reaper now," Orihime said and reached out to him.

Ulquiorra held out his hand and before they could touch, Orihime began to turn to dust. Ulquiorra reached out to her, but he couldn't reach her before she turned to ashes to be blown away in the wind. He didn't understand what was going on. He turned and saw his father fade away into dust. He then looked at himself. He watched in horror as the Vasto Lorde standing before him raised one clawed hand and then brought it digging into his chest. Ulquiorra watched as the Vasto Lorde's exterior skin shattered and he saw that there was nothing underneath.

"Do you even know who you are?"

He turned and saw Ichigo Kurosaki leaning against the wall. He saw that he had on a white mask with red stripes that matched his own markings when he was in Resurrección Segunda Etapa. Ichigo removed the mask, but the face was not the same as Ichigo's. It was completely white except for the pale blue lips and black teeth. One eye was Ichigo's normal brown while the other was black and yellow.

"Do you even know who you are?" Ichigo asked in his two voices.

"I am Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"I didn't ask for your name. I asked if you knew who you are."

"I told you."

"You told me nothing," Ichigo said and plunged his hand into Ulquiorra's chest where his hollow hole used to be. "Does this help?"

"No…my heart…" Ulquiorra muttered.

"What is a heart?" Ichigo asked. "If I were to rip open your chest, would I see it? If I cracked open your skull, would I see it? What is the heart? What is the soul? Who are you?"

"I bring the storm," Ulquiorra gasped.

"Do you even know what that means? How could you understand what it means to be full if you continue seeing yourself as empty?"

Ulquiorra looked into Ichigo's eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You love Orihime, but she doesn't love you. She loves me and I'm gonna make her mine. You won't be allowed anywhere near her. Do you understand?"

"You lie," Ulquiorra said. "Orihime will never be yours."

"She will. She will because she loves me and hates you. She blames you for what's happening to me."

"No," Ulquiorra moaned.

"Why should you care? I thought you believed that true happiness is having nothing because then you can lose nothing. Or are you beginning to think differently?"

"Bring the Storm," the voice of Murciélago said.

Ulquiorra tried to understand even as Ichigo wrapped his hand around his throat and began to squeeze.

_**Grimmjow**_

"HOLY SHIT!" he screamed as the giant boulder chased him. However, this was not a scream of fear, but of excitement. Grimmjow was having a good time dodging all of the traps that Pantera laid out for him. "THIS IS FUN!" he yelled as he jumped over another deep pit. The boulder kept coming at him.

He rushed down a corridor and began to dodge the poisoned darts that were being shot at him by whatever mechanism was being used. He didn't care how the traps worked. He only cared that they were there. They added a level of excitement for him and a much needed rush. For him, no treasure hunt was complete without a few good old fashioned booby-traps. And he was glad that Pantera went all-out. He had to face pits filled with snakes and pits that fell to nowhere. He had to outrun boulders and dodge logs covered in extremely sharp spikes that came out of nowhere. He had to watch his step or risk falling through the floor into an endless free-fall.

Plus, the time limit added a factor of excitement. He only had one hour before Pantera blew the whole thing up and he didn't know how long he had. That level of uncertainty only added to the level of fun he had. All that was missing was fighting Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki to the death at the same time. That would only add to the fun factor of this training.

He dodged just as a large pile of heavy stones fell from the ceiling and crashed behind him. He had to hand it to the girl. Pantera knew how to make things interesting. He stopped when he saw something shining out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a doorway that was filled with a golden light. He smiled as he stepped forward.

"Alright, Pantera, I guess this is the place. Now, let's see what you have to offer. And you better have included Ichigo and Kenpachi. I want to fight them."

He stepped through the doorway and his eyes went so wide that they would have fallen out of his eyes. The large room was completely filled with gold. He couldn't be sure, but he thought that this room must be the size of ten American football fields at the very least. There, in the center, he saw a sword and he recognized it.

"Pantera," he whispered as he ran forward. He ran until he got closer and saw two figures standing in his path. "Oh please…let it be…"

Then a brilliant spotlight shone on them and Grimmjow nearly leapt with joy.

"FUCKING A!" he screamed and grinned.

Kenpachi and Ichigo smiled back at him as they drew their swords.

_**Nnoitora**_

"SHIT!" Nnoitora yelled as he went flying through the bar window…for the tenth time. Each time he crashed through, the glass would repair itself and Santa Teresa would be standing on whatever side ready to kill him.

"Have you had enough?"

"Not quite yet, Bitch."

"You're such an idiot," Santa Teresa said. "I try to be nice and give you an opportunity to surrender and you don't even take it. Oh well that's good for me. It just means I get to kick your ass some more," she said and swung the halberd at him.

Nnoitora dodged and rushed out into the street, but once again, Santa Teresa was already there.

"Shit," Nnoitora moaned and ducked as the crescent blades sliced the air where his head was moments ago.

"Well, at least you didn't ask me how I got here. Maybe that means the message is sinking into your thick skull and into your tiny brain."

"DAMN IT!" Nnoitora screamed and tried to pick up one of the motorcycles.

"Then again…maybe not," she moaned. "God, why do men have to be so stubborn? Don't they know that the woman is always right?"

"SHUT UP, PSYCHO BITCH!"

"Whatever," Santa Teresa said and launched herself at Nnoitora.

"DAMN IT!" Nnoitora screamed as he felt himself go flying backwards. He crashed through the glass window…again. He didn't even try to get up this time. "Damn it, Santa Teresa, you're worse than Kenpachi ever was."

"Damn right," Santa Teresa said as she pointed the crescent blade at his neck.

"Kill me," Nnoitora said.

"Why should I? Are you going to betray me like you did Nelliel if I don't? What good would that do? Would you cut off a perfectly good arm for no real reason? Would you be so willing to lame yourself by throwing aside your own weapon? I'm not that stupid, Nnoitora. My aim is to show that you need me as much as I need you. A sword is useless without a hand to wield it and you are useless without me to empower you. That's the way all Zanpakuto Spirits and their Masters are. They need each other and they need to be strengthened by training. And the first step to mastering a Zanpakuto is mastering the self. That's the way it's always been."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you ever listen, Nnoitora? Or would you rather just brag about how strong and great you are? If you want to achieve Shikai then you must know yourself and your Zanpakuto. The two are not wholly exclusive. Now tell me, what do you hate most in the world?"

_**Starrk**_

"I knew you would figure it out," Los Lobos said as Starrk approached her.

"You built this world based on my memories," Starrk said as he sat next to her. Behind them, the sun was sinking while ahead of them the sky was completely dark except for a lonely crescent moon hanging in the sky above.

"That's right."

"It wasn't a game of Chase the Devil. It was Hide and Seek."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but you know how Coyotes can be."

"I thought you were a Wolf."

"We're both. However, I knew that if I told you it was a game of Hide and Seek, you would know where to find me."

"Why here?"

"This is where you and Harribel liked to go whenever you needed to get away. I wanted you to find me."

"Then why try to trick me?"

"I couldn't make it too obvious. We Zanpakuto have rules when it comes to our relations with our masters and one of them is that we have to provide a challenge for them in order for them to strengthen themselves."

"I don't see how a game of Hide and Seek could strengthen me."

"You learned to avoid my decoys. The only way that you could have done that is if you truly heard my call. When a Soul Reaper achieves Shikai, it means that they have learned their Zanpakuto's voice and calling. In exchange, we give them our release command and our name."

"But I already know that about you. The release command is 'Kick About' and your name is 'Los Lobos.'"

"You may have 'known' it before, but before we confirm it the command wouldn't have worked. Grimmjow and Nnoitora learned that the hard way. They mistook their swords for tools. Lilynette mastered her Los Lobatos quickly because she was one of us and she remembered what it was like being the equivalent of a Zanpakuto Spirit."

"I see. That's why I could recognize your voice. It's because I know Lilynette's voice."

"Bingo," Los Lobos said and smiled. "My name is Los Lobos and my command is Kick About. When you call me, I will come in this form." She reached into the holsters that hung beside her and brought out two ornate silver pistols that were shaped to look like wolves. The muzzles were the wolves' gaping mouths and their chambers were where the wolves' stomachs were. "With these, you can fire Kido as well as Cero and Bala."

"I thought that we…"

"There are many mysteries in the universe, Coyote Starrk, and one of them is what happens to an Arrancar when they die. Now, I must be going. The pack will be wondering where I am. Goodbye for now, Starrk. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

Starrk stood up and looked at her.

"Wait, why did you go easy on me?"

Los Lobos stopped and looked back at him and grinned.

"Lilynette was right about you. You would figure it out quickly. If you must know, I only went easy on you because we have the same goals. We both want to protect those we love. When the Zanpakuto and their master have the same goals, they do whatever it takes to get them to the point where they can achieve. It makes their ability to work together a whole lot easier. However, just because I went easy on you now don't mean I will when we meet again."

"When will that be?"

"When you are ready for Bankai," she said. "You're not there yet, but you will be. When you are…" she chuckled as she walked away. Starrk looked down at the two ornate pistols in his hand. He looked up at the crescent moon and smiled as he saw the stars coming out.

_**Harribel**_

She swam through blood and fire. She didn't know where she was going, but she only knew that she had to. She had to find Apacci and Mila Rose and Sung-Sun to tell them that she was sorry for failing them. She had to find Starrk to give him the farewell kiss she always meant to give him when she saw him fall.

_Why? They're alive. They're Soul Reapers now._

_I know, but I have to. Seeing what happened only makes me want to do it more._

_Bel, why are you so focused on the past and not the present?_

She stopped swimming. Why was she so focused on the past? She remembered that as an Espada her aspect of Death was Sacrifice. So why couldn't she let go of the past? She looked and saw that the wolf was still beside her. She remembered seeing the wolf in the underwater forest and how the wolf came to her and how when she looked into his eyes…

"Starrk," she whispered. "You have Starrk's eyes."

The wolf looked at her and grinned. Then, the blood and fire began to swirl around her and she saw the wolf change form. She felt tears sting her eyes when she saw that it was Starrk standing beside her.

"I thought I lost you," Harribel said.

"You would never lose me, Bel," Starrk said. "I was always there at your side."

"I know that now," Harribel said and smiled. "Even if I have to swim through fire and blood to find you again, I know that you will always be there in my heart."

She brought her lips to his and as they kissed, the blood and fire became a blinding light and she was standing in the Temple. She looked around and saw that the wolf was gone and Tiburón was standing at the altar.

"You knew," she whispered. "You knew that the wolf was Starrk."

"I knew that the wolf was the manifestation of your love," Tiburón said. "I didn't say anything because then I would have given you too much hope. If I did that, then you would have become even more afraid to face your failures and to let go of them."

"That was the test?"

"Yes. You have proven yourself worthy of my power. It's like I told you before, your love for the Wolf was holding you back. Even then I was giving you hints. The Wolf I mentioned was the manifestation of Starrk the Espada and not Starrk the Soul Reaper. That wolf that followed you was both Starrk the Espada and Starrk the Soul Reaper waiting for you to recognize him. When you truly saw the wolf for what he was, then you succeeded."

"The Shark in love with the Wolf," Harribel said and smiled.

"It makes sense. Sharks, like Wolves, usually hunt and live in packs and they watch out for each other. That's the thing that your brother and sister never understood and that's why you were led by the Fates to become an Espada. You understand the value of camaraderie while they only understand enmity. Now, I will tell you my name and my command."

"I already know those things," Harribel said.

"You do, but I must give them to you for you to have authority over me. It's the only way that you will be allowed to release my powers. My name is Tiburón and my command is Attack. This is my release form," he said and held out a sword with a pearl-inlaid hilt and a pommel made of a sea shell. The blade itself seemed to shimmer with the light reflecting off a clear ocean surface. "It will allow you to use anything with water to your advantage and that includes the water in your opponent."

"So, even as a Soul Reaper, I can control water."

"That's right. Now, you must go, but we will meet again."

"Aren't you going to tell me a bit about any special attacks I can do?"

"I will, but now is not the time for that. You must first learn to control the blade before you learn any attacks. If you tried any of the higher attacks at this point, they would easily turn on you because you have very little control over the blade."

"But I mastered you, didn't I?"

"You only gained power over me. But no one can truly master their Zanpakuto. You might as well try to become absolute master over the ocean."

_**Ulquiorra**_

"You've lost," Ichigo said.

Ulquiorra could feel the life draining from him. His vision began to blur and that was when he saw his father again. This time was long ago, when he was smaller. They were in his study going over the various Noble Houses of Hueco Mundo.

_Tell me Ulquiorra, what are the Words of House Luisenbarn?_

_Fear Our Wrath._

_Good, and do you know what they mean?_

_The House Words have meaning?_

_Of course they do. They tell another Arrancar what that House values. With House Luisenbarn it is to say that if you dare to make them angry, then they will make you regret it. Now, do you know what our House Words are?_

_Bring the Storm._

_What do you think that means?_

_I don't know._

_It has two meanings. The first is a promise that House Schiffer will bring down a storm of destruction on any who dare to try to destroy us or our allies. However, the second is a challenge. It also means that they can bring the storm against us, but we will overcome. The reason we do this is because we have a duty to protect one another because we love each other._

_But Hollows aren't capable of love._

_Is that so? I find that rather hard to believe. After all, we all used to be alive once and a part of us retain our human emotions. Unfortunately, Hueco Mundo is a cruel world and often times we find that Love cannot really be expressed here. I hope that one day you will be able to express it. Out of all human emotions, Love is the most complex and the simplest. Love is also the one that hurts the most and yet is also the greatest thing that one can feel._

_I don't understand._

_You will._

"I understand," Ulquiorra whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.

"You can't defeat me," Ulquiorra said, "because I have someone to protect. I understand the heart. My father tried to teach it to me when I was younger, but I never really understood. I now understand. I…I…I LOVE ORIHIME!" Ulquiorra shouted and thrust his own hand into Ichigo's chest.

"Impossible," Ichigo said as he shattered.

Ulquiorra watched as the vision around him shattered and he was back in the midst of the grove. He looked around him and then saw Murciélago looking at him.

"So you figured it out," she said.

"I know who I am," Ulquiorra said. "I am Ulquiorra Schiffer. I am Orihime's protector and I will overcome anything that threatens her because I love her."

Murciélago nodded.

"I am Murciélago. My command is Bind. This is my release form," she said and held up a spear. The shaft seemed to be made of silver while the head glowed with the glow with St. Elmo's fire. "With this, you will be able to bring down a storm of heavenly fire on any who dare threaten those whom you have sworn to protect. I will come when I am summoned."

_**Grimmjow**_

"Damn, I haven't had a good fight like this in a while," Grimmjow said as he rushed at Kenpachi and Ichigo again. He tried to fight his way through, but found that Ichigo and Kenpachi were both giving him a tough time and he loved it. "I LOVE THIS!" Grimmjow roared and tried to fight. But no matter how hard he struck, he could not break through.

"Okay, you want to play rough. I'll play rough," Grimmjow said and launched into another attack. Then he stopped. "Wait a minute. Pantera never did answer my question. How could she both be in here and outside at the same time? THAT BITCH!" he roared. "You mean to tell me that I've spent all this time playing Indiana Jones for NOTHING!"

"That's right," Pantera's voice said coming out of Ichigo's mouth.

Suddenly, Kenpachi and Ichigo weren't standing in front of him. It was Pantera and she was laughing.

"Oh man, the look on your face when you realized it was so priceless."

"Okay, so why did you make me go through all of this?"

"My amusement, of course," Pantera said and walked up to the dais where the sword was. "I also did it for your benefit."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You see, Grimmjow. I know you better than you know yourself. You come across as someone who rushes into things without thinking, but is that so bad? Well…it was bad for Custer and Julius Caesar and Hitler and…hmm, it pretty much ended badly for anyone who did it that way. I wanted you to learn how pointless rushing into battle could be. When you questioned me of as to how I could be in here and outside at the same time, that was you actually using your brain. If you had kept to that line of thought then I would have had to surrender over to you right away and all of that nice Indiana Jones action would have been avoided and I wouldn't have had any fun. To truly control the Zanpakuto, the wielder must control themselves first. When you stopped just now showed that you could restrain yourself. You need to do that more. You rushing into battle cost your fraccion their lives and ultimately your life as well."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the fucking sermon," Grimmjow said. "Could you just hand yourself over to me now or turn back into Ichigo that way I can continue my fight?"

"Nope, the hour's up," Pantera said. "And in a way you did retrieve me. Alright, listen carefully, Grimm-Kitty."

"Why do you keep calling me that? I'm a panther not a kitty."

"Have you ever seen yourself in your Resurrección?"

"Well…uh…no."

"Then let me show you," Pantera said and snapped her finger. Grimmjow watched as he fought against Ichigo so long ago in Las Noches. He then saw his Resurrección and his eyes nearly popped out of his head and his jaw dropped.

"No…holy shit…I…I can't believe it. I LOOK LIKE A FUCKING CAT!"

"That's right," Pantera said. "Face it, Grimm-Kitty. You'll never be as hot as me in that form. So, are you listening now?"

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow muttered. "I can't believe that even then you made me look so un-cool."

"Like I said, you'll never be as hot as me. I prefer to keep my reputation as a sexy, slinky cat and I can't have you taking my rep away from me."

"Whatever. So, you were saying…"

"Oh that. Alright you already know my name and release: Grind, Pantera. I have to say it to pass authority over to you and all that nice crap. Anyways, when you say 'Grind, Pantera' I'll come in this form," she said and held up a pair of silver gauntlets for him to look at.

"Uh…what am I supposed to do with those?"

"Mostly hand to hand combat," she said. "Look, aren't they adorable?" she asked and showed him that the gauntlets were the form of two panther heads.

"THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE ADORABLE!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Oh shut up, Grimm-Kitty and let me finish. Look. These gauntlets will allow the strength of your strikes to be multiplied by at most 50 times what you deal. So, if you tap someone on the arm with these babies, you can actually deliver enough force to completely shatter their arm."

"Okay, now I'm listening," Grimmjow said as he gave his signature slasher grin.

"Good, now you'll notice that fangs protruding from each end. When you strike with these, you can actually cause electrical bolts to shoot out them or impale your foe, whichever you prefer. When you strike the ground, you can cause a mini earthquake. When you strike water, you can cause a tidal wave. And when you strike the air, you can cause the winds to become like those of a hurricane. It keeps with your former aspect of Death."

"Give those to me," Grimmjow said.

"What's the magic word?"

"Uh…Grind, Pantera?"

"No, the _other_ magic word."

"Please?"

"Much better," she said and handed the gauntlets over to him. "Now, what are you going to do with those?"

"That's easy," Grimmjow said and smiled. "First, I'm gonna bring down the fucking house with these babies and then after that I'm going to find Ichigo Kurosaki and beat his fucking ass to a pulp and then…I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!"

_**Nnoitora**_

"Now tell me, what do you hate the most in the world?"

Nnoitora looked up at Santa Teresa and closed his eyes. He knew that she was right, but for him to actually say it went against everything he was taught when he was younger. He was a member of the proud House Gilga and one of the many children of the "Old Scorpion" Gilga. He was taught that a Gilga never bent the knee to anyone. But, Santa Teresa was right. She was in control here and she could do whatever she liked.

"I hate…weaklings," he said.

"Wrong answer," she said and brought the blade closer to his throat. "I know you better than that. Now be honest. What do you hate the most in the world?"

"I…I hate…I hate…" he swallowed hard. "I hate my own weaknesses. I hate that I could never measure up to my father's expectations. I HATE MYSELF!" Nnoitora cried out and he could no longer control himself. He burst into tears. "I…I need you. I need you to help me become stronger."

Santa Teresa smiled and lifted the blade away from him.

"There, that wasn't so hard now was it? And besides, this is only between you and me."

Santa Teresa sighed as she went to the bar and grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge she popped the caps off with her teeth and handed one to Nnoitora who took it and began to drink. Santa Teresa sat on the floor with him.

"Cheers to you achieving Shikai," she said.

"No, cheers to us," Nnoitora said and they clinked their bottles together.

"There's one last bit of business I have to do," she said. "You're probably wondering why calling for me didn't work."

"That's right."

"It's because I didn't give you my name or command. As a result, you had no authority over me, but now you do. My name is Santa Teresa and my command is Pray…as in 'Pray that I don't beat your ass to a bloody pulp.'"

Nnoitora laughed at that and Santa Teresa joined in as well.

"So, is that it?"

"That's it. When you call, I'll come. This will be my released form," she said and held up a large scythe with a black shaft and the blade looked like silver with crimson veins running through it. At where the blade and shaft met was a golden skull crowned with a laurel of blood-red roses made of emeralds and rubies.

"Okay, so what does it do?"

"It can cut your opponents of course. But it can also cause a person who may be your enemy to fight on your side. All that you have to do is aim the skull at them to where their eyes are looking into the sockets. It's sort of like Aizen's ability, but you won't have complete hypnosis and it will only last for up to thirty minutes. However, you can manipulate an object's weight. You can make objects lighter or heavier, depending on what you want to do. All that you have to do is tap the object with the shaft and you can make it heavy or light and you can even move objects without having to physically lift them. All that you have to do is think about an object and where you would like to move it."

"You're joking, right? You're telling me that the only way I can use it for fighting is by using the blade?"

"Honestly, you are such an idiot. I'm saying that all of those things can be used in battle. If you strike an opponent with the shaft, you can weigh them down or you can just keep striking them on the neck until their vertebrae snaps. Damn it, Nnoitora. Stop being a fucking macho man and use your fucking brain for once."

_**Lilynette**_

Lilynette rushed to the two figures who were sitting next to each other on a boulder. One was a young girl who was about Lilynette's age. She had bright pink hair with silver highlights that gleamed like moonlight. She wore a white shirt with black fur lining at the collar and knee-long deer skin boots and a pair of brown leather boots embroidered with silver wolf cubs playing together under a crescent moon. Her golden eyes lit up with excitement as she saw Lilynette coming.

The other was a man with long brown hair and thin facial hair and a flowing black robe with white trim that seemed to move like flames. His black pants were tucked into a pair of black boots. Lilynette noticed that he was wearing the same pair of sunglasses he always wore.

"Lilynette," Los Lobatos cried out and hugged her master. "I'm glad you could make it. Zangetsu and I were just talking."

"Hello, Lilynette," Zangetsu said as he got up and walked towards her. "Did you deliver my message to Rukia?"

"I did," Lilynette said. "But I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Orihime yet."

"I see," Zangetsu said. "I should have Murciélago tell her master to tell Orihime."

"Have they achieved Shikai?" Los Lobatos asked.

"They have all achieved Shikai," Zangetsu said and sighed. "The bond has been made between them. They can now talk to each other at will."

"Zangetsu, something's wrong," Lilynette said. "I can tell that something's wrong."

"I'm afraid that there is much going on in all of the worlds," Zangetsu said. "Civil War is breaking out in Hueco Mundo and things are only intensifying. The Gotei does not understand that what goes on in one World can affect all Worlds. The Barrier is weakening and the time is coming when all Worlds will have to stand together or fall into ruin."

"Are you sure?" Lilynette asked.

"We're all feeling it," Los Lobatos said. "Aizen's betrayal and war have set off a chain reaction that could very well signal the end of everything."

"What about those who have gone through Spirit Evolution?" Lilynette asked. "How much of a threat are they?"

"They are a dangerous threat," Zangetsu said. "Their very existence could cause the Barrier to break down a lot faster than anticipated and when that happens…. I hope that Ichigo will regain his powers by that point."

"Why didn't you have me tell Ichigo right away?" Lilynette asked.

"I know Ichigo," Zangetsu replied. "He needs to figure it out for himself for it to become real for him. He is stubborn and his Hollow Self is using that to feed on him. That's why he needs to have someone he can trust tell him what he needs to know, and I'm afraid he's getting to the point to where he will neither be able to listen to Rukia or Orihime. He is a man divided and he will have to fall before he can rise again."

**End of Chapter 8**

**Shinigami Cup:**

**"So, Dr. Fleur," Kisuke said. "What did you have to do to achieve a 'Level 2' release?"**

**"Oh that...I had to go on every ride at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida."**

**Flashback where we see Dr. Fleur and her Zanpakuto Spirit: a young girl with bright purple hair and wearing a tiger striped tank top on a roller coaster screaming with glee.**

**"Uh...that just doesn't seem right."**

**"I told you they were in for a wild time," Dr. Fleur said and snickered. "Hmm, I wonder if any of them will remember to visit the gift shop. They had this really cute purple Frankenstein's Monster keychain I wanted to get."**

**A.N.: I really loved writing this chapter. It caused me to have to develop more of the mythology I've been thinking of for what I've dubbed the "Song of Hollows and Soul Reapers." I had to rewatch the episodes of Ichigo in his Inner World with Zangetsu to try to keep as close to canon as I could. However, I found that the most important detail was that a Soul Reaper had to know their Zanpakuto's name. In many traditions, there is power in a person's name and I began to think that in order for a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto to work, the Zanpakuto had to give the Soul Reaper their name otherwise it wouldn't work. Thus, I figured out a way that would force the former Arrancars to have to go into their own Inner Worlds and face their Zanpakuto and themselves. **

**That's all for now. Thank you for reading and please review.**


	11. Chapter 9: The Mangiatori

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 9: The Mangiatori**

_We Drown in the pool of our Reflection_

_We find Excitement in the Twisted labyrinths of the mind_

_We Rise to Cut the heavens and earth_

_We See the Mourning of the shapes in the fog_

_We Descend into mist as we Remember_

_He was running. The fog was becoming thicker as he ran. He could hear some of his companions shouting from around him. The shouts of those chasing them could be heard coming closer._

_"HURRY, RUN," their leader shouted from somewhere up ahead._

_He ran. He prepared his Risveglio in case he needed to use it. From somewhere in the fog behind him he could hear those who were towards the back scream or beg for mercy as they were cut down. The Soul Reapers were coming closer._

_"Why?" he whispered as he ran. "Why? Why? Why?"_

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"Why?" Milton moaned.

"Milton, wake up," Sylvia said as she shook him.

He moaned and opened his eyes. When he saw Sylvia leaning over him, he became wide awake.

"Sylvia, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"You were having a bad dream," she said.

"Oh," Milton said. "I…I guess you're right."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Milton said as he wondered why he was thinking of that day so long ago.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

Akemi felt the strange Reiatsu coming towards them first. She looked up at the young man coming towards them.

"Sachiko, Rangiku, we have company," she said.

The other two stood up and reached for their Zanpakuto.

"Now, now," he said as he lifted his hands. "There's no need for that."

His shoulder length blonde hair fluttered gently in the soft breeze. His loose white shirt was tucked into a pair of tight black pants. The three thought that he was extremely handsome, but there was something underneath that told them to be wary of him.

"What do you want?" Sachiko asked.

"Aw, you're such a cute little thing," he said. "Now, run along, little girl. This is a discussion for us grown-ups."

"HEY!"

"Easy, Sis," Akemi said. "He's only teasing. After all, we're about the same age. So, Mr. Whoever-You-Are, why are you here?"

"I wish to speak to whoever is in charge. I have a message."

"Oh, what kind of message is it?" Rangiku asked.

"Well, at least one of you is an officer," he muttered as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "My name is William Marlowe. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lieutenant Matsumoto."

"How…how do you know my name?" she asked.

"Ah, ah, ah, I rarely ever pass out confidential information. I wish I could though since you are such a radiant being like an angel sent from the heavens. Anyways, the message is for all of the Soul Reapers sent here. The message is simply this: 'Leave us alone, please.'"

"That's it?" Akemi asked.

"That's it," William said. "We don't want to be bothered. Although, I wouldn't mind if you went out for a drink with me."

"I'm sorry but, we can't do that," Rangiku said.

"You can't? Why not?" William asked and stared at her. "I would love to have your company for the evening."

"While I'm flattered that you find us attractive," Rangiku said. "We cannot leave you people alone."

"Why not? I even said the magic word."

"It's because you people are a threat," Captain Hitsugaya said as he stepped out of the shop. His Zanpakuto was already in his hand and the sunset seemed to make it blaze with fire. "So, you're one of these Mangiatori. Is that right?"

"I take it that Soul Reaper that Howard faced remembered that much," William said and sighed. "Look, all that we want is to just live our…lives…afterlives…whatever…in peace. However, if you're going to force me to fight you…" he smiled at that.

"Then you will die," Toshiro said. "Rangiku, I'll let you handle him."

"Thank you, Captain," Rangiku said and stepped forward. She raised her Zanpakuto in front of her and looked at William who raised one eyebrow. "Growl, Haineko," she said.

Her Zanpakuto's blade became a cloud of ash and she directed it at William who only frowned.

"Ashes? Honestly, why should I even bother?" he asked and raised his own hand. "Drown, Diluvio Di Disperazione," he said and the air in front of him became a shield of water.

Rangiku's eyes widened in horror as she saw that the cloud of ash that could cut up anything they touched began to clot together and took on the consistency of mud. Then the water began to turn into steam and it raced towards her in a cloud.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Akemi shouted.

Rangiku leapt away just as the steam turned into ice where she stood.

"Damn, I missed," William said as he walked out of the cloud and rubbing a piece of clotted ashes between his fingers. He looked at it and sighed. "You know you would have looked good encased in ice; like an angel trapped in crystal."

"That's impossible," Rangiku said. "How did you stop my Haineko?"

"It's quite simple," he said. "I simply used the water in the atmosphere to create a shield. My Risveglio can control in all three of its states, however, it is only limited to external water. So, while I can't control your bodily fluids, I can control…" he said and raised his hand again. Rangiku felt her skin began to burn and steam rose from her. "…your sweat."

_**Urahara Training Ground**_

Dr. Fleur looked up from where she sat. She looked over at the five former Espada and saw that something was beginning to happen. She rushed over to where Kisuke and Ichigo were discussing something. They looked at her in surprise as she ran towards them.

"They're doing it," she said. "They're achieving Shikai."

At that moment an alarm began to sound. The three looked up.

"Hat-and-Clogs," Ichigo whispered, "what's…?"

"We're under attack," Kisuke said. "Dr. Fleur, keep an eye on them. Ichigo, you stay here. I don't want you to even try anything. Tessai and I can handle this."

"But…" Ichigo began.

"Just do as he says," Dr. Fleur said. "You're in no condition to fight."

_**Outside Urahara Shop**_

Rangiku began to scream as the boiling sweat began to burn her. She had no idea that something could burn like this and then it stopped. She looked up and saw someone she didn't even know shaking William. The woman was dressed in tight black leather pants with a white tank top and a black leather jacket with a choke collar with a silver medallion.

"YOU IDIOT!" she yelled. "HE TOLD YOU NOT TO FIGHT!"

"But…but Charlotte, they attacked me first."

"I don't care," Charlotte snarled. "The instructions he gave were clear: give them the message and leave. You were not to engage them."

"Uh…who are you?" Akemi asked.

Charlotte looked at them and smiled.

"I'm Charlotte Wolfe. Forgive this idiot here if he caused you any problems."

"Charlotte, they're the ones who attacked me."

"Stop your whining. You're like a little kid. As for you," she said. "I would advise…"

"Hado 33, Sokatsui," Tessai said as he and Urahara came out of the shop.

A wide burst of blue light flew at William and Charlotte who dodged before it could strike. William looked up in rage while Charlotte only shook her head.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you it was impolite to interrupt?" she asked. "And who are you people anyways?"

"I'm just the proprietor of this shop," Urahara said. "This man here," he said and gestured to Tessai with his fan, "is my assistant."

"Is that so?" William asked. "Then perhaps you wouldn't mind telling us why the Hell you tried to attack us?"

"That's easy," Kisuke said. "The alarm sounded which means that you were attacking my customers."

"Hey, I wasn't attacking them. They were attacking me," William said. "But, I admit that I may have overstepped my bounds by fighting back. For that, I apologize," he said and bowed to Rangiku.

"Huh?" Rangiku asked.

"We'll be on our way," William said. "All that we wanted to do was come here to tell you not to bother us. We're not doing anything wrong."

"Can you explain what happened to the missing members of a team that Captain Kurotsuchi sent? The only thing that we found were their bodies that appeared to have been completely drained of their Spirit Energy," Toshiro said and narrowed his eyes. "Were you responsible?"

William and Charlotte looked at each other and William sighed.

"I suppose it won't do us any good to hide it. Yes, and we're also responsible for the dead Hollows as well," William said. "However, we only did it to survive."

"I see," Toshiro said. "In that case, we have no choice but to destroy you. Reign over the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru," Toshiro said.

His Zanpakuto became longer and a long chain with a crescent at the end was attached to the hilt. Toshiro roared and swung his sword at them unleashing the ice dragon. The ice dragon roared as it raced for the two Mangiatori who only looked at each other and shrugged. William raised his hand and snapped his fingers and then pointed.

"What's he doing?" Toshiro muttered.

"CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA!" Sachiko yelled.

Toshiro looked and his eyes widened as he saw the ice dragon racing towards him. Its mouth was opened and he could feel the burning ice blast coming from it. The ice fangs glittered like diamonds in the twilight. He tried to move and saw that his feet were frozen to the ground.

"Burn with Radiance, Moeru Hana," Akemi said and swung her Zanpakuto.

The Zanpakuto blazed and a ball of fire shot out of the end. As the fireball roared forward, it blossomed like a flower and the petals separated and became a thousand burning flames that lit the early evening sky. The flames struck the ice dragon and destroyed it in a roar of fire. Akemi looked at her Zanpakuto whose blade now resembled crystal with fire blazing inside.

"Impressive," William said. "So, this young Captain's Zanpakuto controls water and ice while yours controls fire. It looks like this will end in nothing more than a draw. Unless… "

"What do you mean a draw?" Urahara asked as he withdrew his Zanpakuto from his cane. "Awaken, Benihime." The sword changed into a sleek, blade shaped like a razor. The hilt was slightly bent towards the end and a red tassel hung from it. "Now, let's see if you can counter this. Scream, Benihime."

The Mangiatori stood frozen as a crimson wave of energy raced towards them. However, before it reached them the ground heaved upward and as the energy struck, it became a torrent of chaos. Urahara's eyes widened as the wave raced back towards him with an explosion of earth and stone. Urahara established the Blood Mist Shield and the wave crashed against it before it faded. He lowered the shield and saw a cloud of dust obstructing his view.

"What…was that?" Urahara asked.

"Sir, they're…they're gone," Tessai said as the dust cleared.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"DAMN IT!" William shouted. "Why did you interrupt me, Robert?"

"You were not supposed to get into any fights," Robert said. "You're lucky that Milton sent me to make sure that you didn't get into too much trouble."

"Tch…I think we could have imagined," Charlotte said.

"No you wouldn't," Robert said. "From what I saw, you two could have been seriously injured."

"What's all the yelling about?" Milton asked as he walked into the room.

"I'm sorry, sir," Robert said. "However, the messengers you sent decided to get into a fight with the Soul Reapers."

"Is this true?"

"Sir, they attacked me first," William said. "I was only defending myself."

Milton sighed as he sat down. He closed his eyes in thought.

"I see."

"They said that we were a threat," William said. "What did they mean?"

"They only said that because we've evolved and they have not," Milton said. "I would advise that you two stay low," he said to Robert and Charlotte. "Now, did either of you use your Risveglio?"

"Yeah, this idiot did," Charlotte said and hit William over the head.

"And now they'll be on their guard against your ability. However, do they know how many of us there are?"

"So far they only know about three," Robert said. "I had to use my Risveglio but none of them saw me and I was able to take them by surprise. Even then, I only made it to where they will probably think I can control earth and nothing else."

"Well, it can't be helped," Milton said. "What's done is done."

_**Urahara Training Ground**_

"THEY WERE HERE?" Kenpachi roared. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"You were out running around and getting lost," Akemi said.

"So, are they worth fighting?" Ikkaku asked.

"Well, one of them can control water," Rangiku said, "and the other can control earth."

Starrk listened from where he and the others sat. He was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Harribel asked.

"I'm just wondering what we're dealing with," he said.

"Who cares?" Grimmjow said. "I just want to fight something."

"So, they know where we are, but we do not know where they are," Ulquiorra said. "That might pose a problem for us."

"Alright," Kenpachi said. "Ikkaku, Yumichika, come with me. We're gonna out for some fun."

"Yes sir," Ikkaku said.

"I just hope that I don't have to fight someone ugly again," Yumichika said. "It's bad enough that the last two battles I got in were with that Ganju fellow and Cuuhlhourne."

"YAY!" Yachiru shouted as she leapt onto Kenpachi's shoulder. "LET'S HAVE SOME FUN, KENNY! COME ON CUE-BALL. COME ON EYEBROWS. LET'S GET GOING!"

"YEAH!" Yumichika and Ikkaku shouted.

"Wait a minute," Ikkaku said. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT MY EYEBROWS?"

As Kenpachi led the members of Squad 11 with him, Starrk looked after them and shook his head.

"They are some bunch," he muttered.

"Ichigo," Urahara said. "Let's continue that talk we were having," he said.

Ichigo stood up and sighed.

"Mr. Urahara," Lilynette said. "I think that we should split up. If we're gathered in one place, then we could be easily targeted."

"I agree," Urahara said. "Toshiro…"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya."

"Yeah, whatever…. You and Rangiku can stay at Orihime's place again. Ulquiorra, you can go with them."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nnoitora asked as he licked his lips. "I mean…who knows what kind of trouble he could get into with Pet-Sama."

"That's why we'll be there," Rangiku said. "Isn't that right, Kisuke?"

"That's exactly right. Grimmjow and Nnoitora, you can stay here. The chances are that they'll come back here and you can fight them if you want."

"Sounds good," Grimmjow said and grinned.

"No shit," Nnoitora said. "Now we can have some fun."

"Renji," Urahara said turning to the Red Pineapple Moocher, "you're room is ready."

"Thanks," Renji said.

"Just as long as you do your part, Moocher," Tessai said.

"Fine, I'll go take a look around," Renji said. "Ichigo, take care and I'll see ya."

"Yeah, see ya Renji," Ichigo said.

"I'll go to Ichigo's place," Lilynette said.

"That's an excellent suggestion. Starrk and Harribel you can stay with Ichigo as well."

"Wait a minute," Ichigo said. "How am I going to fit them all?"

"I'm sure your dad will figure something out. Starrk, Harribel, just tell Isshin that I sent you. He'll make accommodations for you."

"Are you sure he'll be alright with this?" Harribel asked. "We wouldn't want to impose."

"He'll be fine with it," Lilynette said. "He lets Rukia stay and we can tell his sisters that you're friends of Ichigo and Rukia at school."

"There, you see. It'll be alright," Urahara said. "Now, Dr. Fleur, you can go to Orihime's place as well."

"YAY! SLEEP OVER!" Dr. Fleur shouted. "This is going to be so much fun."

_**Karakura Town**_

"Sir, where do you think they are?" Ikkaku asked.

"Huh…that's a good point," Kenpachi said as he stopped.

"Maybe we should have waited until they came up with some way to track them," Yumichika said.

"Aw, but then that wouldn't be any fun," Yachiru said. "There's no real excitement if you don't know where they are."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ikkaku said. "Because then you would be spending more time trying to find them than you would actually fighting them."

"What did you say?" Yachiru asked and glared at Ikkaku.

"Uh…I was just saying that you're right," Ikkaku said, sweating.

"Oh…alright then," Yachiru said, smiling.

"Whew, that was a close one," Ikkaku said under his breath.

"You really need to work on what you say in front of the Lieutenant," Yumichika said.

"Oh shut up."

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"Big Brother, what's going on?" Harper asked. "I saw that Uncle William was upset about something."

"It's nothing to worry about," Milton said. "Uncle William made a mistake and he's feeling rather sorry about it. Now, do you need help with your homework?"

_**Inoue Residence**_

Orihime finished unloading her laundry from the dryer when the doorbell rang. She looked up and walked towards the door.

_Hmm, I wonder if Tatsuki decided to come over for dinner after-all,_ she thought.

"Who is it?"

"It's Rangiku!"

"And Sam Fleur from school."

"Come on, Captain, aren't you gonna say 'Hello'?" Rangiku asked.

"Why would I tell a door, 'Hello'?" Toshiro asked.

Orihime clapped her hands in glee and opened the door. She started the squeal with delight and then stopped when she saw that Ulquiorra had been pushed front-and-center by Dr. Fleur and Rangiku.

"Oh…uh…hi, Ulquiorra," Orihime said and looked away. "What…uh…what brings you here?"

"Mr. Urahara would like us to stay with you," Ulquiorra said. "I hope that we are not imposing."

"Oh…uh…you're not imposing at all," Orihime said. "Please come in."

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

Renji kept his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto in case he needed to draw at a moment's notice. He looked around, but didn't see anyone other than Akemi and Sachiko who were examining the pile of rubble. He made his way over to them.

"Hey," he said.

"Oh, hey Renji," Sachiko said.

"He's a Lieutenant," Akemi said. "You address him as Lieutenant Abarai."

"Nah, it's fine," Renji said. "So, what did you find out?"

"Well, there are traces of that strange Reiatsu again," Sachiko said. "But, it's different from the Reiatsu I sensed radiating from the two who were here."

"Whoa, you mean you can actually read a person's Reiatsu aura?" Renji asked.

"Of course," Sachiko said. "I'm one of the few in the Soul Society who can. Let's see, Yamamoto's another and so is Unohana and uh…I think Kira has that ability, but he never lets on about it, oh and Lilynette can read auras as well."

"Huh, so…what does that mean?"

"Honestly, Renji," Akemi said and rolled her eyes. "You're such a dunce and to think that you were one of the top students in our class. It means that someone else did that. Our opponents know more about us than we do of them. That's not good."

Renji sighed. So far they only knew that one of their enemies could control water in its three physical states. The one who Ikkaku faced could do something with memory. Other than that, they didn't know much about whom they were facing or what kind of abilities they had. Someone could control earth, but it wasn't the woman who faced them. From what Akemi and Sachiko said, the two who were there to deliver the message knew quite a bit about them.

"Renji," Sachiko said. "We're going to have to send a message to the Soul Society. They would want to be notified."

Renji nodded. They had made contact with their enemy and it looked as though their first confrontation was indecisive. On the one hand, the Mangiatori who were there retreated, but on the other hand it was clear that they didn't really come to fight and were probably not even going all-out.

"And we can't count on Ichigo this time," he whispered.

_**Karakura Park**_

Ichigo sat on one of the benches. He was growing tired and his vision was becoming blurred. He didn't understand why he should feel that exhausted, but he was. Starrk looked at him, concerned about Ichigo's condition.

"Why should he feel that way?" he asked.

"It's his Inner Hollow," Lilynette said. "It's breaking him down."

"Are you sure?" Harribel asked. "Can it even do that?"

"'Yes' to both questions," Lilynette said. "Zangetsu told me about it. When Ichigo defeated Aizen, he had to take his Zanpakuto into something beyond Bankai."

"I didn't even know that a Zanpakuto can do that," Harribel said. "Why didn't our Zanpakuto tell us about this?"

"It's because we're afraid of it," Lilynette said. "When a Soul Reaper goes beyond Bankai, they reach the state where they're most powerful. However…"

"That great power is also their greatest weakness, isn't it?" Starrk asked.

"Yes," Lilynette said. "The Zanpakuto do not wish to give up the secret of their final form because it can either destroy them or exile them from their home. Both are things that all Zanpakuto fear most."

"So, Zangetsu isn't really in Ichigo's inner world anymore," Starrk said.

"That's right," Lilynette said. "I'm letting him stay in mine with Los Lobatos. He seems to like it there…no rain. In exchange, he gives me bits of information that we can use to help Ichigo."

"Like what?" Harribel asked.

"Well, he told me that Ichigo always had a tendency to try playing the hero," she said. "And he's always rushing into a situation just to help his friends without even thinking things through."

"That would explain why he and Uryu and Chad came into Hueco Mundo to get Orihime," Harribel said.

"Yeah, and he also told me that Ichigo never likes to feel helpless. That's what his Inner Hollow is using to grow stronger."

"His Inner Hollow's using Ichigo's sense of helplessness?" Starrk asked.

"That's right," Lilynette said. "We need to make sure that he doesn't feel helpless to the point where he just gives in to his Inner Hollow's demands."

_**Urahara's Training Ground**_

"Well, it sucks just waiting here," Grimmjow said. "I need to fight."

"I know what we can do, li'l pussy cat," Nnoitora said and grinned. "What do you say for a little sparring match? I want to see what my Shikai can do."

"Now you're talking. I'm gonna make you pay for that li'l sneak attack you did on me."

"Oh, and which time would that be? Would it be the time when Ichigo and pals came to Hueco Mundo or the time I nearly took your leg in practice?"

"I'm thinking of both, but especially when you interrupted my fight with Kurosaki. Speaking of which, I still haven't gotten a chance to finish our little fight."

"Aw, poo' widdle kitty is moping that he can't pway with his widdle Ichigo chew toy," Nnoitora said and laughed.

"Oh shut up, Captain Overbite," Grimmjow said.

"Now, now, none of that now," Kisuke said as he approached them. "Tessai, would you please keep a hold of them?"

"With pleasure, sir," Tessai said.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Grimmjow asked.

"Making sure that you don't hurt yourselves," Tessai said and grabbed Nnoitora and Grimmjow and hoisted them into the air. "Trying to fight each other using Shikai can be dangerous if you don't know how to control them."

"It's true," Kisuke said when he saw the looks on their faces. "You may have handled them for the first time in your Inner World, but it's different trying to use them in the physical world."

"Then why didn't you keep Starrk and Harribel back?" Grimmjow asked.

"Yeah, no shit," Nnoitora snarled.

"That's because when they returned out of their Inner Worlds, their Spiritual Energy was stable. You two, on the other hand, were not so stable. If it makes any difference, Ichigo was the same way."

"So…does that mean we'll become as powerful as Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked. "If it does…THEN SIGN ME UP!"

"HEY! If I can finally beat Starrk and Harribel at something, then I'm game," Nnoitora said.

"Now, now," Kisuke said as he waved his fan at them. "I can tell you right away that you won't be as powerful as Ichigo."

"Damn it," Grimmjow muttered.

"However, you can become as powerful as some of the Captains in the Gotei," Kisuke said.

"So…does that mean I can beat that Kenpachi guy?" Nnoitora asked and grinned. "That's who I want to fight again. I want to kick his ass for messing up my pretty face."

"Since when was your face ever pretty?" Grimmjow asked.

"Oh shut up, Grimm-Kitty. At least my Resurrección was better-looking than yours."

Grimmjow gritted his teeth. He really didn't want to admit that Nnoitora had a point on that one.

"That's enough you two," Kisuke said. "Look if you want to be able to use your Shikai to their full potential then you must have stable-enough Spirit Energy to wield it. Your Spirit Energy is what provides strength to your weapons, but if your Spirit Energy is too weak or too unstable then your Shikai will be rendered ineffective. That's why I'm going to put both of you on a rigorous training program during your stay.

"Ururu, Jinta, would you please bring in the special equipment? Also, I need two Headbands of Justice," Kisuke said.

"Wait a minute. Did you just say…?" Grimmjow asked.

"'HEADBANDS OF JUSTICE'?" Nnoitora and Grimmjow shouted.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

"I want to thank you for letting us stay," Harribel said and bowed to Isshin.

"Oh, it's not a problem," Isshin said. "Any friend of Rukia's is a friend of mine."

"Oh…is that all it is?" Ichigo muttered.

"Her face is a little higher up from where you're looking, Dad," Karin muttered.

"Anyways," Starrk said. "We do appreciate you letting us come over."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Isshin said.

_**Karakura Park**_

William Marlowe kicked a stone and watched as it rolled along the concrete pathway ahead of him. He sighed. He knew that he messed up, but at least he didn't reveal too much about his Risveglio. He only told them about its ability to control water in its three states, but he didn't show them what else it could do.

"Still moping?"

He turned and saw Charlotte walking next to him. He gave a little start of surprise.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now," she said. "Look, I'm sorry that we gave you a hard time. But we have to be careful."

"So everyone keeps saying," he said. "Look, I know where you're all coming from and I at least held back. I didn't show them what else my Risveglio could do."

"I know."

"So, why are you here?"

"I'm looking out for you, silly. You're the closest thing to a family that I have ever since…" she stopped and frowned. "You know."

"Yeah," he said.

It was the same with all of them. The majority of the Mangiatori shared a common bond. Spiritual Evolution was the thing that woke them up, but they all suffered some kind of trauma that caused it. With Harper it was the extreme sense of fear and helplessness when she was being chased by the Hollow and then her ability to rise above it that caused her to evolve. However, they rarely ever talked about what event triggered it for them, but they could guess. He sometimes felt that Milton had it right when he told them that the moment they truly awakened to their Raison D'Être was when they felt the most helpless. They banded together out of necessity and now their group was being threatened.

"William, what do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know, Charlotte. However, next time they come at us, we won't hold back. We'll show them exactly what we can do. I mean, that's the way it goes, right? The good guys always win in the end."

"Yes, but…who are the good guys?"

"We are," William said. "If the Soul Reapers did what they were supposed to, would any of us have lost our friends or loved ones to a Hollow? Would we have to watch as those we cared for suffered as their Chain of Fate consumed itself and they turned into Hollows? What good are they? If it wasn't for them…" he trailed off. "I just don't want to feel so helpless again."

"I don't either," Charlotte said. "But Milton's right. We have to choose our battles very carefully. He knows that we're being forced to fight, but he doesn't know why. He wants answers."

"To Hell with the answers," William said. "I only know one thing: they're trying to kill us. If we have to kill them in order to survive, then I will do it."

"And you'll probably be killed in the process. No, it's best to…"

"NO MORE! I won't stay low anymore. Some of the others are in agreement."

"Oh…like who?"

"Ambrose for one," William said.

"You know perfectly well that he's out hunting for that Kenpachi fellow on Milton's instructions. He won't be careless. Knowing you, I'm probably the first person you're asking to help you destroy them. Am I right?"

William looked at her and nodded.

"Yeah," he sighed. "So, will you help me?"

Charlotte looked at him and sighed.

"You do realize that if you go ahead then you'll only make things worse, right?"

"I know the risks," he said.

She could tell that he did. He may act debonair and be somewhat flirtatious, but that was nothing more than a front. Deep down, he was afraid. She knew that about him. Even though he rarely talked about what happened before he gained his Risveglio, she could tell that whatever happened to him made him try to play a role. She knew that they were all playing a role to hide the fact that they were still afraid. She sometimes felt that Harper was the only one who wasn't trying to hide her emotions. Of course Harper was still a child.

"Come on, William," Charlotte said. "Let's go back. There's a time to fight and a time to stay low. Now is the time to stay low."

William nodded and the two walked in the night.

_**Karakura Town**_

"It's this way Kenny," Yachiru said.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. That weird Spirit Energy is coming from over there."

"How much you wanna bet that she's lost again?" Yumichika asked.

"Oh no…not this time," Ikkaku said. "I already owe you five months' pay the other times."

"And I will collect when it's most fashionable," Yumichika said.

"What does that even mean?"

"Would you two please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate," Yachiru said, glaring at them.

"Y-yes Lieutenant," the two said.

"So, which way now?" Kenpachi asked.

"Umm, that way," Yachiru said and pointed.

"Are ya sure?" Kenpachi asked.

"I'm sure," Yachiru said, nodding.

"If this turns out to be another dead end, then I'll start thinking that we're just running around in circles," Kenpachi said.

"Wow, he just figured that out?" Ikkaku muttered.

"Quite you," Yachiru snarled.

"Yes ma'am."

"Anyways, Kenny, I'm sure. Have I ever let you down?"

No one said anything. Yachiru looked at them expectantly. Kenpachi looked at her and saw her eyes were wide and her lips quivering. He sighed. He could be the most ruthless fighter in the Soul Society, but he did not like seeing Yachiru crying. The things was, Yachiru knew it and to get her way she would always give him the puppy dog look.

"No," Kenpachi said.

"HUH?" Yumichika and Ikkaku asked in surprise.

"YAY!" Yachiru shouted. "LET'S GO!"

"Fine," Kenpachi said. "Lead the way."

"Hey, Yumichika, what would you call something like this?"

"Hmm, I would call this a 'hunt.' I mean, we're just running around, looking for something to kill, and not finding it."

"But…doesn't the hunt end with us killing our prey?"

"No, that's a 'battle.'"

"Oh," Ikkaku said and shook his head. "I think we would have better luck if we stated at Urahara's Shop. Ugh, this sucks."

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"THIS SUCKS!" Grimmjow shouted as Ururu came at him again.

"JINTA, HOME RUN!" Jinta shouted as he swung his club at Nnoitora's head.

"SHIT!" Nnoitora cried out and ducked just in time. "HEY, WATCH IT, KID! I'M NOT A BASEBALL!"

"HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA KEEP DOING THIS?" Grimmjow yelled.

"For as long as you can last," Urahara said, grinning his Cheshire Cat grin. "Or until you die, whichever comes first."

"WHAT?" Grimmjow and Nnoitora shouted.

At that moment Jinta and Ururu launched a double-attack against them. Grimmjow and Nnoitora screamed as they barely dodged the attack.

"I…I…I can't believe this," Grimmjow panted. "What in the name of Luisenbarn are they?"

"This sucks," Nnoitora said. "I don't think anything this embarrassing has ever happened to me before."

"Oh come on," Grimmjow said, sneering. "You should be used getting your ass kicked by a woman."

"Shut up Grimm-Kitty. FYI, Nel was a grown woman whenever she beat me, but this is a girl…A FUCKING GIRL!"

"It's a good thing Nel ain't here. She would never let either of us live this down, "Grimmjow said.

"Tell me about it," Nnoitora snarled.

Jinta and Ururu were about to launch another attack when the alarm rang again. They stopped just short of Grimmjow and Nnoitora. Urahara looked up in surprise.

"Boss, we've got company," Tessai said.

"I know," Urahara said. "Grimmjow and Nnoitora, you will stay here. Jinta and Ururu, make sure you're ready in case of an attack."

"No problem," Jinta said.

"I'll do my best," Ururu said.

"That's good. Tessai, try to contact Yoruichi. I'll check on Renji, Sachiko, and Akemi. Let's just hope this isn't an attack."

"If it is…" Grimmjow began.

"…WE'LL JOIN YA!" Grimmjow and Nnoitora shouted.

"No, no, no," Urahara chided. "You're not ready yet."

When Urahara left, Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked at each other.

"He's kidding, right?" Nnoitora said.

"Who cares?" Grimmjow responded.

"Good point," Nnoitora said, grinning. "Let's go."

_**Cherry Orchard**_

Findor Carias sat with some of the other former Arrancars. He sighed as he took another sip of green tea.

"So…what do you think's going to happen?" Apacci asked as she fingered the sake bottle.

The others sighed. They had been called for a meeting and Yamamoto informed them of the Civil War going on in Hueco Mundo. The news did not come as a shock. For as long any of them could remember, Hueco Mundo always had a king and with Baraggan gone, the throne was up for anyone. However, as soon as they heard that Mordrath Luisenbarn was one of the main competitors, some became worried. And those who served under Baraggan worried the most.

"The Espada of Envy will kill anyone who gets in his way," Nirgge said.

"Exacta," Findor said. "I only met him once, but once was enough to realize that Baraggan's younger brother is even more dangerous than our former King."

"I know," Nel said. "I faced off against him during his little rebellion. That was how I became an Espada."

"Whoa, you fought the Espada of Envy and you survived?" Ggio asked, amazed.

"Well, I only fought him as he was retreating," Nel said. "He was able to get away before Rudobon came along with his force of Exequias. So, tell me Findor, are you worried about your little sister, Friia?"

"No es exacto," Findor said. "She knows how to take care of herself. I trained her."

"Too bad you didn't train her how to stop whenever she tries Sonído," Ggio said. "My knee still hurts from her running me into that stupid table."

"Well, she was never one who learned how to stop," Findor said. "When she runs she just kept going."

"Yeah, well…" Ggio said. "I should light some incense and offer a prayer to the Twelve on behalf of our relations still in Hueco Mundo. I have a feeling that it won't end with someone sitting on the Throne."

"I didn't know you were a member of the Faith," Shawlong said.

"Well, when I wasn't worshipping Baraggan," he said and shrugged.

"I think we should all offer our prayers for those we left behind," Mila Rose said. "But I'm offering my prayers to the Huntress."

"Exacta," Findor said. "I just hope that our prayers don't become a requiem for them."

The former Arrancars got up. Their thoughts were not only on the situation in Hueco Mundo, but also for those who were in the World of the Living as well.

_**Kurosaki Clinic**_

Ichigo sat at his desk, working on homework. Rukia and Harribel were at the small table talking.

"So, you mean to tell me that there are more Arrancars?" Rukia asked.

"That's right," Harribel said. "You see, Arrancars existed long before the Hogyoku ever came to Hueco Mundo, but the problem was that there were so few families back then."

"Hold on, there are Arrancar families? I didn't know that."

"There are. However, it's said that the first five Arrancars in all of Hueco Mundo were the patriarchs of the First Families: Andjo, Tuma, Luisenbarn, Leonisra, and Starrk. So their names are highly revered in Hueco Mundo, or at least their names are revered in public. Each of them controlled one area of Hueco Mundo. As time went on, though the five families began to desire more power until eventually they began a series of wars against each other. During that time, more of the Houses were formed: Houses Schiffer, Chelute, Gilga, Jaegerjaquez, and my own House, Harribel, were among the earliest."

"So, it was like Medieval Europe or Warring States Japan?" Ichigo asked.

"It was more akin to Medieval Europe," Harribel said. "That time was called the Chaotic Era because all of the Houses that rose up began to fight among each other. However, that was when the First True King of Hueco Mundo emerged."

"Was it Baraggan?" Rukia asked, sounding interested.

"No, it was Arturos Leonisra. He's sort of our King Arthur," Harribel said. "He was the one who brought…"

There was a knock at the door. Ichigo got up and answered it.

"Oh, hey Yuzu," Ichigo said. "What do you want?"

"Well, it's just that supper is about ready," Yuzu said. "Starrk and Lilynette are helping to set the table."

"Alright, we'll be right there," Ichigo said as Yuzu closed the door. "Well, we should be…" he stopped and his body began to tremble.

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Rukia asked.

Harribel looked at Ichigo. Something was happening to him. She looked at Rukia who was approaching him. She looked back at Ichigo and saw a brief flash of yellow and black in them.

"RUKIA, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she cried out.

_**Karakura Town**_

Ambrose Stoker leaned against the wall. He looked up as he heard voices approaching.

"Are you sure it's this way?" one of the voices asked.

"I'm sure Kenny," a shrill, girl-like voice said.

"You better be right this time."

"Howard, is that them?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's them," Howard Machen said from his perch on top of one of the lamp posts.

"Good," Ambrose said.

"Should I hold the others back for you?"

"No. Just stay out of sight and only jump in if you must."

Howard nodded his head and moved into the shadows. Ambrose sighed and turned to face his opponents who were now rounding the corner. When Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Yachiru saw him, they stopped. He could tell that they thought he was just someone out for an evening stroll. He could tell that they were about to move on and he smiled.

"Good evening," he said. "Would one of you happen to be Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11?"

_**Urahara's Shop**_

Kisuke and Tessai rushed out of the shop with Grimmjow and Nnoitora close behind. They stood in shock at the sight before them. The entire area outside of the shop was surrounded by mirrors. They couldn't understand it. However, they saw Renji, Sachiko, and Akemi standing in front of a mirror and they looked afraid of what they were seeing.

"Good evening," someone said.

They turned and saw a woman with platinum blonde hair standing on the roof. She wore a green formal evening dress with gold sparkles along the deep V-cut at the front and a thin red ribbon of silk at the waist.

"Who are you?" Urahara asked.

"I am one of the Mangiatori. My name is Shirley Wilde."

"What do you want?" Tessai asked. "What did you do to them?"

"They are battling themselves," she said. "Soon, you'll be doing the same."

"I don't think so," Urahara said as he withdrew his sword. "Awake—"

He didn't have time to finish when a mirror burst from the ground in front of Urahara and Tessai. Grimmjow and Nnoitora dodged just before two more mirrors rose in front of where they once stood.

"Holy shit," Grimmjow said. "The chick is using mirrors as weapons?"

"What did you expect?" Nnoitora asked. "She's a chick."

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow said. "Hey Kisuke, are you alright?"

He turned and saw Tessai and Urahara looking into the mirrors in front of them. Both of them looked terrified.

"SCREAM, SCREAM, BENEHIME!" Kisuke shouted. "No…no…I…I didn't mean to…NO!

"No, no, I…I can't…I can't do that!" Tessai moaned. "I can't."

"What the…?" Nnoitora asked.

"No, RUKIA WATCH OUT! NO, RUKIA!" Renji cried out. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! ROAR, ZABIMARU!"

"What's going on?" Grimmjow asked.

"They're Reflecting," Shirley said as she floated to the ground. "Soon, you two will be trapped as well in my Paura Vera."

_**Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Office**_

Captain-Commander Yamamoto opened the door to his office and stepped inside. He sighed and then stopped when he saw who was sitting behind his desk.

"Well, I was wondering when you would get here," Aruji Enma said and chuckled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh…just a friendly little chat," the Lord of Hell said as he brought out a small golden box from the folds of his robes. "Would you like some Turkish Delight?" he asked and offered the box to Yamamoto. "I just love the texture."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Fine, fine," Aruji said and waved his hand as though dismissing him. "I suppose you know that you took another occupant out of Hell without my permission. You can keep the two heads. Use them as key fobs for all I care."

"Are you here to discuss Aaroniero?"

"Funny, it was, but not anymore," Aruji said and smiled. "I just received an interesting bit of info from one of my many, _many_ spies in the World of the Living."

"What are you talking about?"

Aruji Enma smiled. He tilted his head back and opened his mouth. He plunged one hand deep into his throat and seemed to search for something in the contents of his stomach. He stopped and then pulled his arm out. Clutched in his fingers was a small, black and yellow spider whose body looked like an eye. He held the squirming creature to Yamamoto.

"Eat, and see," he said. "See what Ichigo Kurosaki is doing right now."

**End of Chapter 9**

**Dr. Fleur (V.O.): Profilo Dei Mangiatori**

**Kon: Hey everybody. It's everyone's favorite Bleach plushie, Kon...HEY!**

**Dr. Fleur: And Dr. Fleur his lovely and radiant co-host who today is sporting a purple dress. Doesn't she look stunning?**

**William: And I am William Marlowe of the Mangiatori. And I must say you are looking lovely tonight.**

**Dr. Fleur: Well thank you.**

**Kon: Anyways, tonight we'll be talking about William Marlowe's Risveglio, Diluvio Di Disperazione.**

**William: Do we have to? I would much rather talk about those lovely ladies I faced in my debut.**

**Dr. Fleur: You do realize your debut was a while ago, right?**

**William: I can't recall.**

**Kon: Okay, so your command is Drown and you can control external water in its three states of solid, liquid, and gas. Right? Is there anything else it can do?**

**William:Yes, Drown, Diluvio Di Disperazione.**

**Kon (swept away by a torrent of water): AAAAAAAAAAH!**

**(Orihime, Rukia, Rangiku come in on the wave wearing their bathing suits from the Bleach Beach episode and screaming with glee)**

**Dr. Fleur: YAY! SWIMMING! (rips off her dress to reveal she's wearing a two-piece purple bathing suit and jumps into the wave)**

**William: It's very good at getting all of the ladies to wear their swimsuits.**

**A.N.: I'M BACK! Sorry it took me so long to write the next chapter, but some of my other projects and RL have been keeping me busy. Finally, the battle officially begins. Also, I made mention to the other story that I'm working on that ties into this one: "Blood on the Sand" which focuses on the Civil War going on in Hueco Mundo. Please check that one out as well and please send me some feedback since it's always appreciated.**

**Thank you for reading and please review.**


	12. Chapter 10: Screaming Souls

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 10: Screaming Souls**

_Chained by fear and rage_

_The soul cries out_

_Longing to be free_

_Yet afraid of fading away_

_Like a cloud of mist _

"Ichigo, are you alright?" Rukia asked.

Harribel looked at Ichigo. His back was arched and then his upper body fell forward. Something was not right. She looked at Rukia who was approaching Ichigo, her hand outstretched to him. She looked back at Ichigo and looked into his eyes. To her horror there was a brief flash of yellow and black in them.

"RUKIA, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she cried out.

"Huh, but why?" Rukia asked.

"Because, Ichigo ain't here right now," a raspy voice hissed from Ichigo's mouth. "Would you like to leave a message?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo in horror as a cold hand wrapped around her neck and lifted her into the air, squeezing.

"I hope you're watching, Ichigo. Oh yeah…I hope you're watching," the raspy voice said and began to cackle.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"HOLY SHIT!" Grimmjow shouted as another mirror seemed to grow in front of him.

Grimmjow didn't know exactly what Shirley Wilde's Risveglio was capable of, but he knew enough to know that the mirrors were a part of it. The problem was that they were completely surrounded by mirrors and so there was no possibility of escaping without at least earning a few years of bad luck.

"WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF?" Nnoitora shouted. "THEY'RE JUST MIRRORS!"

"I'M SCARED OF SEEING YOUR UGLY FACE!" Grimmjow shouted.

He glanced over to where the other Soul Reapers were still standing. Their faces were contorted in horror and he was shocked to see that they were crying blood.

_What the fuck's going on?_

"Enough of this," Nnoitora said. "I don't care what Kisuke says, I'm gonna try it out," he said and raised his blade.

"Shit, what other choice do we have?" Grimmjow asked as he held his own sword by his side and placed his fingertips on the flat of the blade.

"Pray, Santa Teresa."

"Grind, Pantera."

_**Karakura Town**_

"Good evening," Ambrose said as he approached the members of Squad 11 standing before him. "Would one of you happen to be Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11?"

"Who wants to know?" Ikkaku said.

"Forgive me. My name is Ambrose Stoker and…"

"And you're my opponent," Kenpachi said as he unsheathed his sword. "I hope you're stronger than you look."

"Then why did you draw your sword?" Yumichika asked.

"That should be obvious. This must be one of those Mangiatori. From what we heard about what one of them did to Hitsugaya's ice dragon Captain Zaraki wants to fight one of them," Ikkaku said. He looked at Ambrose as though measuring him. "He doesn't look like much though."

"You're probably right," Kenpachi said. "However, I want to see what he's capable of at least. So, what are you waiting for? I want you to draw your weapon. I promise I'll go easy on ya."

"I highly doubt that," Ambrose said and sighed. He reached into his pants pockets and withdrew a straight razor. "I would appreciate it if you would send that little girl on your shoulder away. I would hate to accidently hurt her."

"Yachiru, go wait with Ikkaku and Yumichika while I handle him," Kenpachi said.

"Alright Kenny," Yachiru said as she jumped off Kenpachi's shoulder.

"Thank you."

"No problem. I would hate for anything to happen to Yachiru as well."

"Now then, shall we begin?" Ambrose asked as he revealed the razor's blade.

"Fine with me," Kenpachi said.

"Alright," Ambrose said as he put the razor's edge to one fingertip and pressed down.

A small trickle of blood formed where the razor's edge cut into his skin. Then it seemed to rise in the air and spread in a reddish mist. The Soul Reapers looked confused as the blood formed a thin, translucent bubble in the area. Ambrose looked at it and nodded.

"That should keep innocent by-standers from entering this area."

"That's honorable of you."

"Thank you," he said with a bow and then put the blade to the palm of his hand. "But now is the time to show you my Risveglio."

He sliced open his palms and then quickly changed hands and cut his other palm. Blood poured from the gaping wounds as he closed his straight razor and put it in his pocket. He held his hands out as though he was holding onto something invisible. The blood seemed to wrap around his hands and hang in midair.

"Cut, Sangue Spade."

_**Inoue Residence**_

"Yummy, that was delicious," Rangiku said.

"I'm glad you liked it," Orihime said. "But then you always like my cooking, Rangiku. How about you, Ulqui, did you like it? I mean, you didn't eat much."

"It was very…unique," Ulquiorra said. "Unfortunately I was not hungry tonight."

He looked down at the odd combination of waffles with bean paste and chocolate sprinkles and bologna. It was obvious that she wasn't too particular about what foods she threw together. He looked at Dr. Fleur who was poking at her meal with a slight frown.

"Too bad you don't have any fried chicken," she said. "Fried chicken with waffles is a very good combination."

"Waffles and fried chicken," Orihime said. "What an odd combination. Well, I suppose since everyone's finished I'll clean up."

Rangiku looked at Ulquiorra and nudged him in the side. He looked at her, confused.

"Shouldn't you offer to help?" Rangiku whispered.

"I do not understand."

"It's polite for guests to help their hosts out."

"Hark who's talking," Toshiro muttered.

"Besides, I've noticed how Orihime looks at you," Rangiku said. "Perhaps you could use the time to talk things over with her."

"I see."

Ulquiorra got up and picked up his plate. He followed Orihime into the kitchen. She was busy scraping the left overs into a container when he walked in. She turned to look at him.

"I…thought I should help out," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh, thanks. Uh…you can just set your plate over on the counter and I'll get to it."

"Are you certain? I can help…wash the dishes or something along those lines."

"I'm fine," Orihime said. "Is there a reason why you want to help?"

"I…want to thank you for allowing us to stay. I hope we are not an inconvenience."

"Oh…it's not inconvenient at all," Orihime said as she put both hands out and waved them. "I…I just thought…"

"I suppose it will not atone for how I treated you back in Las Noches, but…I do want to make amends."

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra. She could not believe that this was the same cold, calculating, and emotionless Arrancar she knew from before. Instead, she saw someone who was trying to figure out who he truly was.

"Alright," she said, smiling. "You can dry the dishes. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fair…I suppose," Ulquiorra said.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

Shirley watched as the two Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto changed. Grimmjow looked at Nnoitora's scythe and then at the two gauntlets on his hands. Nnoitora looked at the gauntlets covering Grimmjow's hands and began laughing.

"AH-HA-HA-HA! Aw man Grim-Kitty you can never live down your nickname; not with those little puppet kitties."

"Oh shut up," Grimmjow growled and punched the air in Shirley's direction.

Shirley and Nnoitora watched in shock as the air seemed to shimmer and a heavy gust of wind rose. Unfortunately, Grimmjow hadn't gotten a chance to truly be able to handle it and was forced backward. Shirley dodged the gust of wind and shook her head.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" he yelled as he went flying backward and rebounded off of one of the many mirrors that were circling the area around Urahara's shop.

"Are you insane?" Shirley asked. "Are you trying to earn as much bad luck as you can?"

"Oh…shut up," Grimmjow moaned as he got to his feet. "Damn it. I'm so not used to this."

"HA! You lose, Kitty. Now it's my turn."

Nnoitora yelled as he rushed at Shirley who smiled and snapped her fingers. A mirror suddenly fell in front of Nnoitora and he swung the scythe's blade into the glass. However, by the time he swung his scythe he had already looked into the mirror. He screamed in terror as the scythe's blade cut the image. The mirror shattered, but Nnoitora backed away from the pieces.

"No, no, no, NO! DON'T…PLEASE DON'T…I'M SORRY…I'M…I'M SORRY!"

"Holy shit, Mantis Boy what's wrong with you?" Grimmjow reached Nnoitora and started shaking him.

"GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME! I…I…GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

Nnoitora kicked Grimmjow away from him.

"DAMN IT, SCARECROW! I WAS TRYING TO HELP YOU! NEXT TIME YOUR ASS IS IN TROUBLE, I AIN'T HELPING!"

"What are you talking about?" Nnoitora asked.

"You looked in that bitch's mirror," Grimmjow said and pointed to the broken glass. "You went crazy all of a sudden and on top of it, you got seven years bad luck on your ass."

"Oh shut up," Nnoitora snarled and looked at Shirley. "As for you, bitch, I'm gonna get Medieval on your ass."

"Is that so?" Shirley said and snapped both fingers.

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Harribel watched as whatever had taken over Ichigo was strangling Rukia. She knew she had to do something. She looked at Ichigo, focusing at him.

"Bakudo number 9, Geki," she said.

Normally, Geki would engulf the target in red light and paralyze them. However, when Harribel said it, eight arms of red light streamed towards Ichigo from her and wrapped themselves around him. Rukia dropped out of Ichigo's hands and onto the floor. She gasped for breath and looked at Ichigo in surprise and recoiled when she saw the hatred and rage in the black and yellow eyes.

"Do ya think that your li'l spell will stop me?"

"To be honest, I don't really know," Harribel said.

"Well, y-y-y… N-N-NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT ARE YA DOING? YA CAN'T FIGHT ME! YA CAN'T FIGHT ME! N-N-N-N-"

"NOOOOOOO!" Ichigo yelled in his regular voice.

The door burst open and Isshin rushed in with Starrk and Lilynette close behind. Only Lilynette was in her regular Soul Reaper form.

"What happened?" Isshin asked. "I felt…"

He stopped when he saw Ichigo lying on the floor, wrapped in ribbons of crimson light that flowed like water or blood. He was completely drenched in sweat.

"Rukia, what happened here?" Isshin asked.

"H-H-He ju-ju-uh-st…" she gasped and then began coughing.

"Ichigo lost control," Harribel said.

Isshin looked at her and then at Ichigo.

"Damn it," he muttered.

"Hey, what about your Gigai?" Harribel asked Lilynette.

"In Yuzu and Karin's room," Lilynette said. "I made the excuse that I wasn't feeling well and needed to lie down for a bit."

"She's really on top of things," Starrk said. He looked down at Ichigo and shook his head. "This brings back too many memories," he whispered. "I saw weaker Hollows look like that when they were around me too long."

"What do you mean?" Isshin asked. "What's going to happen to my son?"

"I…don't really know," Starrk whispered.

"He's weakening," Lilynette said. "If something isn't done to at least temporarily restore some balance then he'll…"

"Tell me," Isshin said. "What will happen to my son?"

Lilynette looked at him and hesitated. She didn't know if telling him what Zangetsu told her was a good idea or not. However, the look in Isshin's eyes told her that she would have to tell her.

"He'll no longer be Ichigo," Lilynette whispered. "Fortunately there's a way to prevent that…at least temporarily. Unfortunately…it's risky. I mean extremely risky."

"You seem quite knowledgeable," Harribel said.

"She is," Starrk said.

"Tell me," Isshin said. "I'm begging you. How can I help my son?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Lilynette asked. "The answer is that Zangetsu must, in some way, be smuggled back into Ichigo's Inner World."

"How is that even possible?" Isshin asked.

"That's the tricky part," Lilynette said. "Since Zangetsu is currently in my Inner World, I have to be the one to do it. However…for me to smuggle Zangetsu in I have to go into Ichigo's Inner World."

"NO!" Starrk shouted. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

"Starrk," Harribel said and put a hand on his arm. "If it's the only way…"

"I won't risk losing Lilynette again," Starrk said. "Once…once was enough."

"I know," Lilynette said. "But I have to do this if Ichigo's going to have some chance. However, even if I succeed, it will only be temporary. It could last for as long as a year or as short as a day. It depends on Ichigo's resolve to maintain control."

"Just…just do what you have to," Isshin said. "Please, I…I lost Masaki. But I won't lose another member of my family."

"Starrk," Lilynette said.

"I…isn't there some other way?"

"No, now stop worrying," Lilynette said and hit Starrk on the head. "I'll be fine. If I could beat Apacci in our practice sessions, then I can beat whatever sack of shit Ichigo has in his head."

"I know," Starrk said as he rubbed his head. "But did you have to hit so hard?"

"Naturally," Lilynette said and smiled. "Now, Isshin, I want you to know that I have no intention of killing your son."

"Wait, what are you…?" Isshin began.

However, before he could finish, Lilynette drew her Zanpakuto. She ran Ichigo through the back until the blade stuck out of the other side of his chest. Blood spread along the shirt and down the blade. The others gasped in surprise and Isshin looked as if he wanted to rush over and either draw the sword out of Ichigo or strangle Lilynette or both. However, Starrk stretched his arm out to block him.

"Wait," Starrk said.

"But she's…" Isshin said.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Harribel said. "Her sword is supposed to only have this effect on a spiritual body. So why…why is he bleeding?"

Isshin looked at the blood and then he understood.

"Oh gods," he whispered. "Ichigo's…Ichigo's…"

"No, he's not," Starrk whispered, understanding Isshin's concern. "Lilynette's Zanpakuto is a part of Ichigo's because Zangetsu's living in it. I think that if we couldn't see the Spiritual Realm, then we wouldn't see that blood."

"I…I guess not," Isshin whispered. "But I…I don't like it."

"She's doing this to help your son," Harribel said.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Lilynette whispered. "Don't worry. The blood is completely on a spiritual level. I'm simply making sure he won't lash out against you while I form the link. Now, please, don't interrupt me when I begin. It's a very delicate operation."

"I understand," Isshin said. "Just please, help my son."

"I will," Lilynette said and smiled.

They watched as Lilynette focused. Starrk never saw her focus like that before, but he knew that there must be some reason why she would go to such lengths to assist Ichigo. He just couldn't understand it.

_**Karakura Town**_

"Well, that's surprising," Kenpachi said. "I've never seen anything like that before."

He looked at the two shimmering, crimson blades in Ambrose Bierce's hands. Blood swirled around him as though in anticipation for something.

"I should inform you that I'm not the strongest of our group," he said. "I hope that you don't find that upsetting."

"I'm pissed off that I'm not facing the strongest in your group," Kenpachi said. "But you'll do for a warm-up exercise."

"I suppose you're right."

"You ain't like Nnoitora," Kenpachi said. "You ain't bragging about how you're going to cut me down or anything like that. Tch…you'd get along fine with Izuru I suppose, but not in my Squad."

"Did I ever ask to join the Gotei? I have no intention of doing so. You Soul Reapers seem to like boasting about your own strengths and so I don't feel the need to boast. I know my limits. But do you know your own?"

"Enough with the talking," Kenpachi said and grinned. "Let's get to the fighting."

"If you wish," Ambrose said.

Ambrose looked at Kenpachi and suddenly one of the ropes of blood surrounding him lashed out. Kenpachi brought his sword up and cut through it. The blood seemed to lose its solidarity for a moment before the area just above the cut shot out again and cut Kenpachi in the side of the face.

"CAPTAIN!" Yumichika called out.

"Tch…a scratch," Kenpachi said, but smiled. "I wasn't expecting that. But, if you're only going to rely on your long-range attacks, then I'll be bored."

Ambrose nodded and the ropes of blood flowed back to him and seemed to vanish.

"Then I suppose I won't hold back," he said. "I suggest you do the same."

"That's more like it," Kenpachi said.

He rushed at Ambrose, yelling. His sword was raised high and he swung down as he got closer to Ambrose. Ambrose raised one of the blood swords and Kenpachi was surprised to hear the sound of metal clashing on metal. He felt pain across his chest and saw that Ambrose got in a hit. Blood sprayed out of the wound and Kenpachi looked at his adversary and grinned.

"HELL YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

"So, you like getting hit?"

"It only makes things more exciting for me."

"I see," Ambrose said.

"To be honest, I was surprised that you actually cut me. Your spiritual energy didn't seem that strong. Perhaps you're holding back. Any opponent who can cut me…I find them very, _very_ interesting."

"I was surprised that I was even able to cut you," Ambrose said. "Your own spiritual pressure is extremely strong and I was certain I wouldn't be able to harm you."

"He's toying with the Captain," Ikkaku muttered.

"He's not," Yumichika said. "I saw his face when he cut the Captain. He was honestly surprised."

"Heh, ha, YHA-HA-HA-HA! I love it. You had no idea that you could even hurt me and yet you still faced me. I like that. Maybe I was wrong about what I thought at first. Maybe you will prove to be more fun than I imagined."

"How do you figure?"

"You've got guts. I like that."

"Well, at least we agree on something. You're hurt and yet you're willing to fight on. I admire that, Captain Zaraki. However…" Ambrose lashed out again. His blades slashed across Kenpachi's knees and the back of his legs. Kenpachi looked at him in surprise. "…I don't like fighting for the sake of fighting."

"Kenny," Yachiru gasped.

"What the…?" Ikkaku asked.

Yumichika looked in shock as Kenpachi tried to stay on his feet.

"Well, now," Kenpachi muttered. "What's the point of doing that?"

"Every part of the body is vital in any combat," Ambrose said. "How do you expect to continue fighting when your legs are severely damaged to such a capacity?"

"That's easy," Kenpachi said and grinned. "A ZARAKI NEVER GOES DOWN!" he roared and lashed out.

Ambrose backed away, dodging the blade. Kenpachi leapt at him, but his injured legs were proving to be a hindrance. Kenpachi had lost much of his speed and he was beginning to show strain. However, he fought on. Ambrose continued to dodge and lash out when an opening presented itself.

_This guy's a Captain? He's giving me too many openings. He seems to be slashing his sword at random. He's treating fighting as if it was nothing more than a brawl. I better finish this quickly before my body decides to give out._

Ambrose knew that his Risveglio could be taxing if it was used over too long a period of time or too many times. The reason was that it was entirely based on his blood and he only had a finite amount. His more powerful attacks required more blood to be used.

"Captain, let's help you," Ikkaku said.

"Oh no," Kenpachi said. "He challenged me to fight. AND I'LL FIGHT!"

Kenpachi charged forward again. His legs wanted to buckle out from under him, but he wouldn't allow that to happen. He roared in triumph as he slashed his sword at Ambrose who looked at him in surprise. He tried to raise one of his blood swords to block the attack, but his moment's hesitation was enough for Kenpachi's blade to slash him across the chest.

_Damn it,_ Ambrose thought.

Blood flew out of the gaping wound and Ambrose fell backwards.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"What the fuck?" Grimmjow muttered.

The wall of mirrors surrounding Urahara's shop began to revolve even faster. Grimmjow noticed that the each level of mirrors moved in the opposite direction as the one above and below it. The result was seeing the same reflection going in two completely different directions and a sense of vertigo came upon him.

"This wall of mirrors surrounding you serves two purposes," Shirley said. "The first is to block off the area from anyone whose spiritual levels is too low to interact with the Spiritual Realm. The second is to ensure that my opponents fall into their worst nightmares."

"What do you mean?" Nnoitora asked, but his face was pale.

"I mean that you will be trapped in your worst nightmares, just like the others. That is the power of my Paura Vera."

"Oh really," Grimmjow said, grinning. "BRING IT ON!"

He struck the ground with a gauntleted fist. The ground began to shake and the sound of boxes falling over inside the shop could be heard.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Charlotte cried out.

"Oh, you're scared," Grimmjow said.

"Damn it. How are you doing this?" Nnoitora demanded.

"It's my Pantera. I figured that if I can create a strong enough earthquake it will cause those mirrors to fall over."

"YOU IDIOT!" Charlotte shouted. "DON'T DO THAT! THEY'RE IN TOO DEEP!"

"Huh…what are you talking about?"

"You idiot, if you knock the mirrors over or shatter them while your friends are still living their reflection, then you'll shatter their minds as well," Charlotte said.

"What?" Grimmjow asked.

"I think she's saying that if you break the mirrors that they're absorbed in, then you'll turn 'em into vegetables," Nnoitora said.

"Oh…OH SHIT! DAMN IT! HOW DO I STOP THIS THING?" Grimmjow shouted.

He removed his gauntleted fist from the ground, but that didn't stop it.

"Sheesh, you tried to use your new Shikai without even knowing how to control it?" Nnoitora asked. "What a dumb-kitty-cat."

"HEY! YOU USED YOURS TOO!"

"I only used the part that I already knew how to use," Nnoitora said. "I didn't try doing the fancy-shmancy shit yet."

The ground continued to tremble. Grimmjow began to panic as he saw that the mirrors that Shirley tried to entrap him and Nnoitora with were beginning to sway along with the mirrors in front of Kisuke and Tessai.

_Oh shit,_ Grimmjow thought. _Pantera, if you're there. HOW THE FUCK DO I STOP THIS THING?_

_Well, I thought you'd never ask me, dumbass,_ Pantera's voice replied._ You obviously are an idiot for trying to use the fancy stuff before getting a true grip on things. Oh well, once an idiot…always an idiot. _

_HEY!_

_Never mind that. If you want to stop it then you'll have to reseal me. Just say, 'Go to sleep Pantera' and I'll stop. Got it?_

_That's all I have to do?_

_Yep, that's all. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have an earthquake to cause so have fun._

_WAIT A MINUTE!_

Grimmjow shook himself out of whatever trance he fell into. The earth was rumbling even more.

"God damn it," he growled. "GO TO SLEEP PANTERA!" he yelled.

The earthquake began to subside. The mirrors that hadn't fallen over were becoming steady. Charlotte looked at Grimmjow and sighed in relief.

"Well, that's good. Look, I didn't want to cause any permanent damage. My orders were to only frighten you and your friends."

"Alright then, BRING THEM OUT OF WHATEVER YOU DID TO THEM!" Grimmjow yelled and pointed at the five who were standing in front of mirrors, still whimpering and crying out in horror. "I MEAN, THEY'VE GOT BLOOD POURING OUT OF THEIR EYES!"

"Huh?" Charlotte asked and then looked at Renji and then at the Amaterasu sisters. "OH SHIT! I'M SO SORRY! I didn't want that to happen. I'm so, so, so sorry."

"Uh…look…just…just do whatever to snap them out of it before their brains explode or whatever," Grimmjow said.

"Yes, of course," Charlotte said.

She closed her eyes and breathed. Almost immediately the mirrors faded away with the exceptions being those in which Renji and the others were caught.

"Wait…" Nnoitora said. "You mean all that we had to do to end this was just…just…ASK YOU?"

"Well, you should have pointed out that they were starting to cry blood," Charlotte said. "That usually means that they're accepting what they see in the mirrors as the only reality. I don't like taking it that far unless I must. Look, it'll take some time, but they'll eventually come out. When they do, just let them rest."

"Whoa, why are you helping us like that?" Grimmjow asked.

"It's because we're not bad people. We just want to be left alone and allowed to carry on. That's all."

Grimmjow looked at Charlotte and then thought about what Dr. Fleur told them about what their existence could mean. Whether they knew it or not they were a threat that had to be eliminated. However, that didn't make Grimmjow feel any better about it. For some reason he found himself thinking about his fraccion. They weren't bad people either. However, because of his inability to think things through before acting, he caused their deaths. Now, he almost did the same thing with Kisuke and Renji who he was getting along with.

_Shit,_ he thought. _No wonder why my Aspect of Death was Destruction. I just behave like some uncontrollable act of nature. Shit, that's what got me in trouble too many times to count._

_Way to go on figuring that one out. Damn it, Grimm, even a kid could figure it out faster than you._

_Oh shut up, Pantera._

"Well, I should be going," Shirley said. "Just remember to let those mirrors fade away, otherwise your friends would be in very serious trouble."

"Wait," Nnoitora said. "What would have happened to us if that wall of mirrors continued to revolve like that?"

"I told you. You would have fallen into your worst nightmares," Shirley said and ran off.

"HEY!" Nnoitora called out.

"Let her go," Grimmjow said.

"Why should I?"

"It's because she's not our concern right now. They are. We need to make sure that nothing happens to them," Grimmjow said and sighed. "We owe Kisuke. Without his help we probably wouldn't be able to fight again," he said as he re-sheathed his Zanpakuto.

"Whatever you say," Nnoitora said as he watched Santa Teresa return to her usual Zanpakuto form. "I just want to fight something."

_**Karakura Town**_

"Huh…that was too easy," Kenpachi said as he looked at Ambrose, lying on the ground.

"Captain, you won," Ikkaku said.

"Yeah," Kenpachi growled. "Was there any…?"

That was as far as he got before his eye widened. Ikkaku and Yumichika watched in horror as a blood-red spike thrust itself from their captain's chest. Suddenly, tentacles of blood wrapped themselves around Kenpachi's arms and squeezed. The sound of breaking bone filled the night air and then the tentacles pulled. Kenpachi grunted as his lower arms were torn away from the elbows and dangled uselessly to his side. His sword clattered on the ground. Kenpachi looked at it as though unable to understand how such a thing could be possible.

"I thought you were paying attention," Ambrose said from behind him, clutching his chest. "My Risveglio is completely based on my blood. The deeper you cut me or I cut myself, the more powerful my attacks become," he panted. "I really, _really_ don't like using this, but you gave me no other option."

The bloody spike retreated from Kenpachi's chest and out the other end while the tentacles unwrapped themselves from his useless arms. Yumichika and Ikkaku stood in horror as they saw the gaping hole in their captain.

"This…this…won't…" Kenpachi muttered before he fainted.

"KENNY!" Yachiru cried out.

"You…what did you do?" Yumichika demanded.

"I…won," Ambrose said as the blood returned to him.

He began to stagger away. The blood rushing back to him made him feel woozy and weak, but he would not faint. The blood mist wall surrounding the area began to rush back towards him. However, the wound that Kenpachi delivered was not closing right away and blood continued to pour out of it and back into him.

"I suggest you call whatever you consider to be doctors," Ambrose said as he walked past them. "I made sure that the wounds aren't fatal…unless he doesn't receive medical treatment."

When Ambrose was gone, Ikkaku and Yumichika rushed to their captain. Kenpachi was still alive.

"We have no choice," Ikkaku said.

"I know," Yumichika said as he brought out his soul phone. "I really hate to have to do this," he said as he dialed. He put the phone to his ear and began to speak the words that no one in Squad 11 ever wanted to say. "Hello, I need Squad 4 to send a medical team right away. No, this time it's not Ikkaku. It's for…Captain Kenpachi Zaraki."

_**Inner World**_

Ichigo felt himself floating. He opened his eyes and saw that his world was no longer like Karakura Town or the side-ways city he knew. It was now a barren wasteland covered in ruins and sand. He looked at the blood-red sky and saw a moon like a black eye with a yellow iris glaring down at him.

"No, this…this isn't my world," he muttered.

"You're right," the hateful, rasping voice said.

He turned and saw his Inner Hollow standing among the ruins. Hichigo was dressed in a long white robe with black trim. He wore a crown made from bone and gold on his head and he held a Zanpakuto with a swastika-shaped cross-guard.

"It's my world now," Hichigo said.

"How did this happen?"

"Zangetsu wasn't here to control me. I became more powerful than ever before when you allowed me full control over you to battle that weakling, Ulquiorra. If Orihime hadn't called out and I answered, you would be nothing but bones by now. It was I who answered Orihime's call; not you. And because I did that, Orihime is mine. She may seem so innocent, but I know. I know the pain and suffering you caused her. It was selfish of you to go to Hueco Mundo to rescue her. Did you ever think that if you died then you would have only caused her more suffering? You were even willing to leave your 'friends' behind and play the hero on your own. DO YOU THINK YOU SHIT ROSES OR SOMETHING? You ain't fucking Gallahad riding on a snow white steed, radiating purity and holiness with flowers blooming wherever you step and the birds heralding your arrival. You're nobody. Did you really think otherwise?"

"I thought I mastered you," Ichigo said. "I thought I was able to beat you when I earned the right to wield Saigo no Getsuga Tensho."

"YOU FOOL! YOU DO NOT CONTROL ME! YOU NEVER CONTROLLED ME! DON'T YOU GET IT YOU PATHETIC LITTLE WORM? You thought that you gave _me_ power? Don't make me laugh. I was the one who gave _you_ power in the first place."

"No, that was Rukia."

"Oh please, all that Rukia did was waking your own Soul Reaper ability. If she hadn't interfered when she did…you would have become a living Hollow."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"Oh no, the Master does not inform the Slave of every detail. Let's just say that before Zangetsu, _I_ was there. I was in your Inner World long before Zangetsu came along and decided to make it more to his liking. No, this world is your true Inner World. It's always been like this beneath the surface."

"I would never have a world like this."

"Yes you would and this was your world for so many years. Look and see. Even though you may say you have hope in something, you never truly hoped because all you really know is fear and regret."

"I ALWAYS HAD HOPE! THIS IS NOT MY TRUE SELF!"

"You didn't always have hope and Zangetsu knew it. He forced you to have hope. However, this world is your true self. I am your true self. You think that who you truly are is all sunshine and roses and puppy dogs? BULL SHIT! Your true self is dark: blood-thirsty, full of despair, and…alone. You always wished to do things alone."

"Yeah, because I didn't want my friends hurt."

"Then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought, or maybe…" Hichigo looked at Ichigo and a wicked gleam entered his black and yellow eyes. "…maybe you did want to see them suffer. Maybe you hoped that you were so badly injured or even killed that they would weep over you and beat their breasts. For shame, Ichigo, for shame, that's not how a 'hero' is supposed to behave."

"YOU LIE!"

"No, I only tell the Truth as far as I know it," Hichigo said with a shrug. "You, however, you're the one telling lies. You lie to everyone in order to, 'keep them from suffering.' Tch…you're only fooling yourself. You hurt them alright. You hurt them all. You hate Uryu and Chad. You hate Rukia for fucking up your life and forcing you down a road you didn't want to go down on. You hate Orihime for holding you back and being so clingy to you. You call them your 'friends'. But they're not. You don't even view them that way."

"No…no," Ichigo moaned.

"You know I'm right. You hate all of them. Why not? They didn't suffer the way you did. They don't know what you are truly afraid of and you hate them for that. You mistake love for hate and hate for love. That's why you'll never truly be king. You can't face yourself. If you want to gain my respect, then look into my eyes and acknowledge them."

Ichigo didn't want to look into those eyes, but he brought himself to do so. When he looked into them, he didn't see black and yellow. He saw brown.

"Now do you understand?" Hichigo asked in Ichigo's own voice.

"Yes," Ichigo replied in Hichigo's raspy voice. "I understand. We are the same creature."

"That's right," Hichigo replied. "We are the same creature."

_**Squad 4 Barracks**_

"What happened?" Captain Unohana asked.

"We don't know," Isane replied as she rushed towards her. "All that we know is that Captain Zaraki needs emergency treatment right away."

"Wait, Captain Zaraki?" Unohana asked, clearly confused.

"I know. I couldn't believe it either," Isane said. "Someone actually brought down Kenpachi Zaraki."

"He's still alive, is that correct?"

"Yeah, but barely, Captain," Isane replied. "I sent Hanataro with the message to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. However…"

"What is it?" Unohana asked.

"There was a carriage in front of the Squad 1 Barracks and a crowd gathered. I…I got a good look at the emblem and…"

"What is it?"

"It's…Aruji Enma."

Unohana stopped. First Captain Zaraki got cut down and now it turned out that the Lord of Hell had come to visit. Something was going on and she didn't like it. There was too much uncertainty. She wondered why the Lord of Hell came to visit Yamamoto. However, none of that mattered.

"Isane, forget about Lord Aruji Enma for the time being," Unohana said. "Right now, we have a patient who needs our help and we must see to him. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Isane said.

"Good, now come along."

_**Squad 1 Barracks**_

Yamamoto sat in horror as his mind saw Ichigo strangling Rukia. However, he could tell that it wasn't really Ichigo, but rather the creature living inside him. Aruji Enma looked at him and smiled.

"So, what do you think of this 'Substitute Soul Reaper' and his behavior?"

"That's not Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Of course it is," Aruji said as he leaned back in Yamamoto's chair. "You see, all people are divided. It is their nature to ensure that society reflects that division. That's why the idiots in Central 46 are always bickering with each other about certain things, but the moment that something comes along to challenge their beloved status-quo, they are eager to destroy it."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that my spies have heard…talk in Central 46 about killing the former Arrancars."

"WHAT?"

"They don't like the idea of having former Arrancars in their ranks," Aruji said. "You should hear what they say. 'Will they betray us?' 'We dare no risk it.' 'They must die. They're nothing but filthy Hollows anyway.' 'Then we'll do to them like we did the Inoue boy.' Is it any wonder why poor Orihime, despite the number of times she's been here, has never found her brother? Central 46 had him disposed of as well as the spirits of all Hollows who were purified and sent here. Of course, they did it without your knowledge."

Yamamoto looked taken aback at that.

"That's…that's impossible. The Royal Family…"

"I know more about them than you do," Aruji said, his face darkened. "However, that is not why I'm here. I'm here to tell you that Ichigo Kurosaki is losing his footing. Soon, he will tumble head-long into the abyss. Fortunately, that Lilynette girl is taking the initiative."

"What do you mean?"

"She knows of at least a temporary way to help Ichigo regain equilibrium. That's all that matters. Now, if you'll excuse me. My fans are waiting and I so do not wish to disappoint them."

_**Karakura Town**_

"You overdid it," Howard Machen said as he held Ambrose up.

"I took my eyes off him," Ambrose said.

The wound that Kenpachi dealt him was beginning to heal, but he was starting to lose control of the blood and now splotches dotted the empty streets. Ambrose knew that he had the weakest Risveglio because it was the only one that could kill him if he wasn't careful.

"When we get back, we'll get you hooked up and replace the blood you lost."

"Thanks."

"Hey, it's not a problem. You did a good number on that Kenpachi guy anyways."

"Yeah, but I was only able to do that because he wasn't fighting at full strength. And I was also able to take him by surprise."

"Yes," Howard said. "My Precononscenza saw that his spiritual pressure levels weren't as high as they could be, but it showed me what was restraining it."

"What was it?"

"Hi eye patch," Howard said as he adjusted his hold on Ambrose.

"That's…so…" Ambrose began before he fainted.

Howard kept a hold on him and strained as he dragged Ambrose back to their hideout. He was glad that they were relatively nearby. He kept a close watch on the blood and was pleased to see that now that Ambrose was out of it his wound was closing a bit quicker than before. The blood itself began to only trickle before it congealed into a scab.

"Well, it's good to see you'll be alright," Howard muttered. "But it still scares me that you have to faint before you're able to heal properly."

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"I see," Milton said after Charlotte told him about her experience at Urahara's Shop.

"I'm sorry. It's just that they distracted me and I…kind of overdid it."

"But they'll be alright?"

"Of course," she said.

"That's all that matters now. I don't want to kill unless we have to, but…"

"You're worried?" Sylvia asked.

"I am. I'm afraid that the Soul Reapers will view our actions as an act of war and will only intensify their chase."

"But, we didn't kill any of them, well, except for that group," William said.

"That's exactly the problem. Damn it. I should have thought things through. Maybe it was a bad idea to send Ambrose out to fight that Kenpachi guy after all," Milton said and sighed. "I think I may have made a terrible mistake in that."

"I don't know," Emily said as she leapt backwards onto the couch.

"Emily, please don't do that," Robert said, shaking his head. "You might break something."

"Please, let her be," Milton said. "Go on."

"Well, that Kenpachi guy was running all over town looking for us," she continued. "He would have been a problem."

"Like the boys chasing you at school?" Milton asked.

"I guess," Emily said as she sprawled on the couch. "Only the boys aren't chasing me to kill me."

"No, I suppose they're not," Milton said. "Listen, we'll stay low. However, Emily, you and Harper will continue going to school. I'll be doing the same. That way we can make it seems as though things are still normal for the Soul Reapers who are in school and we can keep an eye on them. As soon as Ambrose and Howard return, I'll give them their instructions."

"Ambrose will have to rest first," Shirley said. "You know that his Risveglio can be taxing on him."

Milton nodded.

"Alright, everyone," he said. "Robert, you can take first watch. The rest of you can get some sleep."

_**Inner World**_

Lilynette walked the sands of her Inner World. She looked at the Zanpakuto she held in her hand. So long as neither Ichigo nor his Inner Hollow recognized it as having Zangetsu, then things should be alright. She looked up and saw that the sky ahead was a blood red and a mass of ruins rose out of the ash-colored sand ahead.

_Zangetsu, is that…?_

_It was,_ Zangetsu replied from the sword. His voice was sad. _That means that Ichigo lost too much control._

_Well then, we'll just have to give it back to him, but…_

_What is it, Little Wolf?_

_I'm scared. I'm scared that I might never come out of this._

_Do you wish to give up?_

_Hell no, I'm not one to just give up for no reason. As long as there's still a chance, I'll take it._

_That's good._

_Well, we better get this over with._

Lilynette sheathed the sword she carried and stepped forward into Hichigo's Inner World.

**End of Chapter 10**

**Dr. Fleur (V.O.): Profilo Dei Mangiatori**

**Kon: Alright, today, we're covering two of the Mangiatori. I would like to introduce Ambrose Stoker and Shirley Wilde.**

**Shirley: Hello.**

**Ambrose: ZZZZ**

**Shirley: He's still recovering from having to use his Risveglio.**

**Kon: So, his Risveglio is called Sangue Spade and uses his own blood as weapons? Is that right?**

**Ambrose: ZZZZ**

**Kon: I'll take that as a "Yes." Let's see, it says that his Risveglio command is "Cut, Sangue Spade." Now then, let's see your's is called Paura Vera.**

**Shirley: That's right, and its command is Reflect. It shows a person what they're truly afraid of.**

**Kon: So...what did the Soul Reapers who were trapped in it see?**

**Nnoitora: OH NO YOU DON'T! DON'T YOU DARE TELL HIM!**

**Shirley: Well, with that one...(points at Nnoitora)**

**Nnoitora: NO! I'M WARNING YOU!**

**Shirley: He saw this:**

**(She holds up a photo of Nnoitora dressed in an evening dress on top of a piano in the spotlight with Grimmjow taking photos to post up for everyone to see while Nel is beating him with his Zanpakuto and yelling "THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR SNEAKING UP ON ME! I'LL MAKE YOU MY BITCH!")**

**Nnoitora: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

**A.N.: Whew, this chapter was kind of hard to write, especially the Ambrose Stoker vs. Kenpachi fight, which is the first one-on-one fight I've ever written. I hope I did at least a decent job with it. **

**Thank you for reading, and please review.**


	13. Chapter 11: Inner World

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 11: Inner World**

_The Inner World is what we make it_

_A Paradise or a Wasteland_

_Whether it be the Self, the Zanpakuto, or the Hollow_

_They fight to gain the Mind and Soul_

_To make in their image_

"What's his status?" Captain-Commander Yamamoto asked.

"He'll survive," Unohana replied. "Unfortunately, we don't know how much damage has been done. It's possible that he won't be able to use his arms anymore."

Yamamoto looked down at the sleeping form of Kenpachi Zaraki. The Squad 4 medics were doing what they could to help him. So far the gaping wound in his chest had been patched up, but his arms were a different matter. The Healing Kido could work on injuries such as cuts or sprains, but Kenpachi's elbows had been completely shattered.

"Do what you can."

"Yes sir."

Yamamoto sighed as he left the Squad 4 Barracks. He knew that he would have to summon an emergency meeting.

_**Inoue Residence**_

"What was it like?"

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime as he put away the last of the dishes. He didn't understand what she was talking about.

"I beg your pardon."

"What was it like to…to die?"

Ulquiorra thought about it for a moment. He didn't understand why she was asking such a question.

_Then again, I never could truly understand her._

"It felt cold," he replied. "It didn't hurt if that's what you were worrying about."

Orihime looked at him and smiled.

"I'm glad that you're here now. I don't know why, but…towards the end…I…I felt some kind of connection to you."

"I do not understand. I was your jailer. Why would you feel a connection to me?"

"Your eyes…they were filled with…with loneliness. That was when I truly saw you for the first time."

"I'm afraid that I still do not understand. How could a single moment possibly build any kind of connection?"

Orihime didn't say anything. Instead she put her hand on his and looked at him. Ulquiorra felt as though his mind was going blank.

_Is this…what she meant? What is happening?_

"Do you feel it?" she asked as she squeezed his hand. He let out an involuntary gasp as he felt an electrical shock rising up his arm. "Do you feel the bond that I have with you?"

"Yes," he whispered.

Orihime smiled and kissed his cheek. Ulquiorra's eyes went wide in surprise. He looked at her.

"Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to," she replied. "Ulquiorra, I…"

Before she could finish, Rangiku rushed into the kitchen.

"Rangiku, what is it?" Orihime asked.

"Orihime, Captain Hitsugaya and I need to leave for Urahara's Shop. Something's happened."

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"Well, will they be alright?" Nnoitora asked.

"It's hard to say," Ururu replied as she put Kisuke on the fifth mattress. "We can only wait until help arrives."

"Why are we here when we should be hunting them down?" Grimmjow whispered.

"Believe me, I want to," Nnoitora hissed. "I could care less what happens to them, but… Hell, I don't know."

"Maybe you're changing," Jinta said as he entered the room carrying a large bowl of hot water.

Nnoitora only snarled at the thought. There was no way he would ever change to the point of giving up an opportunity to fight. Yet, here he was, keeping watch over the Soul Reapers.

_This is pathetic. I should be out there hunting that bitch down._

However, he only sighed and kept his vigil. He just couldn't understand why he and Grimmjow weren't hunting the enemy down. They would be doing that if they were still Arrancars. But they weren't Arrancars anymore. Somehow, their violent natures were beginning to cool bit-by-bit. And it frightened Nnoitora. All that he knew was fighting and he could tell that Grimmjow was most likely thinking the same way. Aside from Yammy, they were the most violent members of the Espada. They were forged from violence, but Nnoitora more so than Grimmjow. Violence determined his identity.

"Hey, Nnoitora…"

"What is it, Grimm-Kitty?"

"I'm frickin' bored. Do you wanna spar or something? I'm sure these brats can take care of the others."

Nnoitora smiled at Grimmjow and nodded.

_**Inner World**_

Lilynette made her way carefully to another pile of ruins. It was strange to see such a place of destruction and chaos as someone's Inner World. It reminded her of a rhyme she heard, but she could no longer remember where:

_The soul cries out and the broken corpses take flight_

_Black moon by day and blood sun by night_

_All dreams fade away in the Eternal Twilight._

"Why am I even thinking of that? Come on, Lilynette. It's time to focus."

She looked at the ruins ahead. The road was choked with fallen stone and twisted metal. Broken glass glittered under the blood sky. She made sure that the Zanpakuto was still secure.

_Alright Zangetsu, which way do I go?_

_Keep going straight. I can still sense their Spiritual Pressures, but we must hurry. They're melding into one._

Lilynette nodded and began to move faster, but not recklessly. This was not her territory and Zangetsu had told her that the Inner Hollow would do whatever it took to make sure Ichigo didn't become stable. The reason was that it was following its instincts to take control.

"I need to hurry. Hang on Ichigo. Help is on the way, but fight it. You need to fight it until I can get to you."

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Isshin Kurosaki paced the room. He looked to where his son knelt with a Zanpakuto through his chest. The blood ran down the blade and pooled on the floor. He looked at Lilynette who had her eyes closed and he saw that she was in the Rapid Eye Movement stage.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kurosaki," Harribel said from where she sat next to Starrk. "Your son will be fine."

"I hope you're right."

Rukia sat at the table and rubbed her hands nervously. From time-to-time she would reach the place where Ichigo, or rather whatever had taken possession of Ichigo, had strangled her. She could still feel that touch. That touch had been cold like ice and yet also hot like fire. The sensation had been unpleasant and yet pleasant as well.

_How could anything be like that?_

"Are you alright, Miss Kuchiki?" Isshin asked.

"Huh…oh…yeah…I'm just worried."

_I'm worried that I might actually lose him._

"It'll be alright," Starrk said. "I've never seen Lilynette so determined before. Not even when she tried to fight against Captain Ukitake." He smiled at her. "That means that she'll do whatever it takes to make sure you don't lose him."

Rukia gave a start at that and then smiled.

"I suppose you're right."

"Of course he's right," Harribel said. "Things have a way of working out in the end. Whether we understand why something happens or not, it still serves a purpose."

"I know," Rukia replied and turned her attention back to Ichigo.

She could see his face contorted in pain and fear. That was a sign that whatever his Inner Hollow was doing was having an effect on him. She wanted to go over and touch him, but she didn't know if that would either help Ichigo in his struggle or hurt him. She didn't want to risk her touch being what caused the creature inside Ichigo to become so enraged that it completely overwhelmed Ichigo.

_Please, hang in there, Ichigo. Fight. Fight it._

_**Inner World**_

Ichigo could not understand what was happening to him. He looked down at his chest and saw the Chain of Fate linking him and Hichigo. But it didn't look as though it was made of iron. It looked as though it was made of glass.

"Ah, so you finally noticed."

Ichigo looked into the mocking brown eyes, eyes that used to be his.

"What is this?"

"Didn't I tell you that if you proved to be too weak that I would devour you? I'm devouring you."

"No…"

"It won't do you any good to deny what's happening. And don't think that breaking the chain will do you any good. It won't. It will only cause your mind to be broken and you'll be nothing more than a vegetable."

"If that's the case…then it's better than allowing you to take over."

Hichigo shook his head and burst out laughing. Ichigo felt fear rising in him.

"You really are an idiot. I said that your mind will be broken and that you'll be nothing more than a vegetable. I, however, will not be affected. It will only make taking control even easier."

Ichigo felt his heart sink and then he heard the sound of falling sand. He looked at his hand and was surprised to see that it was becoming like sand. The white grains did not fall to the ground. Instead they began to spiral around the chain until it reached the center where they began to mingle with the black grains from Hichigo.

"What's…what's going on?"

"You wish to become whole, don't you? Well, we're going to truly become one. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust," Hichigo said and began to laugh.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

"I still say that we should attack while we can," William said and slammed a hand down on the table. "If we want to survive then we must wipe them out."

Milton Dante only shook his head. He knew that William had a point, but he was forgetting one key detail.

"They'll send others. William, I know that you may be right, but they can send in others to replace those they lost."

"Then why did you have us attack them?" Charlotte asked.

"I wanted them to understand what we're capable of. But I also wanted to show them that we will not kill unless we have to."

"It was foolish to let them live," Robert said. "We should have wiped them out and then wait for their reinforcements to arrive and wipe them out."

Milton leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He knew that they had a good point, but he hoped that by giving them a warning, the Soul Society would listen and leave them in peace. However, he knew that his decisions probably made things worse.

"He did what he thought was best," Emily said from her place. "If it turns out to have been a mistake, then we can always go on the run."

"That won't do us any good. They'll chase us down and they won't stop until we're all destroyed," William said. He clenched his hands into fists. "They did it before. They'll do it again."

Milton remembered how the group that William was in was destroyed and he had survived by hiding in the ruins of war-torn Europe. The European Soul Reapers had searched for all of the Mangiatori who had escaped them or had recently Awakened. Now it was happening again.

_No matter where we go, we'll be hounded down._

Milton stood up and the others looked at him. He was glad that Harper was sleeping in her room and wouldn't have to hear what his decision was.

"I see your point. As you know, I didn't want it to come to this. However, my decisions have caused us to be hunted down even more and therefore it is only right that I take responsibility. I hereby grant permission for you to kill any Soul Reaper who comes against us, but only if it's absolutely necessary. We're not murderers and whatever vendettas we hold against the Soul Reapers must not cloud our judgment." He looked at William and Robert as he said that. "We will only kill to defend ourselves. If they do not back down from trying to kill us then we will kill them first. If any of you feel against it, then allow your guilt to fall on my shoulders."

"I doubt any of us will feel guilty about killing those who are trying to kill us," Emily said. "But, I think that we should at least try to talk with them again. I mean, it's clear that the decision to attack that Kenpachi guy could have been a mistake, but he wouldn't have listened. Maybe the others will listen to what we have to say."

"Emily, you're still young," Robert said and sighed. "The Soul Reapers will not listen to what we have to say. They only seek to destroy whatever doesn't fit into their view of the status-quo."

"What if you're wrong? We should at least try to…"

"I'm afraid that Robert is right," Milton whispered. "Any chance of trying to talk to them has passed. We may end up having to fight for our right to exist."

Emily looked at him in shock and then sighed.

"Maybe we can do something to persuade them otherwise. I mean…there must be something…"

"I'm afraid there's not. Ambrose wounded one of their Captains. They'll see that as a declaration of war. I made a mistake by not sending someone to talk with the other Captain who was sent here or even to that Kisuke fellow. They would have listened, but that Kenpachi only cared about hounding us down to fight us."

"And Ambrose took him out."

"But at what price? Ambrose is still recovering and we may have made things worse for us."

"But it's the Soul Society's fault for sending someone like that in the first place."

"I agree with William on this. The Soul Society was the one who declared war against us by sending someone like that Kenpachi to hunt us down and destroy us. They struck first. Ambrose only did what he had to in order to protect us. How is that wrong?"

"The Soul Society will view it the way they want to view it," Milton said softly. "They want to view us as a threat and so they send out someone to exterminate us. And because Ambrose was able to take him out, then they will use that to give them an even greater reason to destroy us. History is repeating itself."

"So, are you sure that you want us to kill them?" Emily asked, not sounding enthusiastic about it. "I don't think I can. I mean, I know they want to kill us, but…"

"It may get to the point where you don't have a choice," Robert said. "However, I will try to make sure that you don't have to do that." He looked at Milton and smiled. "I know that you had to make a hard decision, but we trust you. You took us in when we had nowhere else to go. For that, I thank you. But I still think we should strike now. They're weak and divided. We should take them out while we can."

Milton sighed and shook his head.

"That will only give them more reason to send in their best fighters against us. We don't know what some of their leaders are capable of. Howard, I want you and Charlotte to keep an eye on Urahara's Shoten for the time being. If anyone else arrives, you are to gather information and bring it back here to me. That way we can make a plan."

"What should the rest of us be doing?" William asked.

"We'll wait and prepare. If that is all, then I advise that you all get some sleep."

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

Captain-Commander Yamamoto looked at the six other Captains assembled. Unohana was not able to come since she was still helping to heal Kenpachi. However, Healing Kido was severely limited. When it came to severe internal injuries, it was extremely difficult to guarantee any success and most of Kenpachi's most severe injuries were internal.

"Is it true that Captain Zaraki may not regain full sue of his sword arm?" Komamura asked.

"At this point in time, Captain Unohana cannot say with any certainty. However, it is her medical view that he may be severely restricted," Yamamoto answered.

"Well that ain't good. If one of our best fighters isn't able to fight at full strength…" Kyoraku trailed off and shook his head. Yamamoto knew what he meant.

"What do you think we should do, Captain-Commander?" Ukitake asked.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto thought about it and shook his head.

"We need to wait for Captain Hitsugaya's report on the situation. However, I am prepared to send the Captains in if it is required."

_**Inner World-Lilynette**_

Lilynette stopped outside of a ruined building.

_Is this it?_

_It feels like the right place. Unfortunately the Inner Hollow made this place. I only rebuilt it._

_What do you mean?_

_When Rukia's Spiritual Energy woke me up, I realized just how damaged Ichigo was._

_What caused it?_

_His greatest failure…_

Lilynette didn't understand just what Zangetsu meant. However, she knew that didn't matter right now. Her main focus was to find Ichigo and Hichigo and find some way to bind them while keeping them apart. Based on what Zangetsu told her, Lilynette felt that if they did truly become one being, then it wouldn't be Ichigo. That side of the coin was too weak to combat the Inner Hollow and it would be the Inner Hollow to become the dominant personality.

_**Inner World-Ichigo**_

Ichigo felt numb as he looked at his Inner Hollow. The sands of their bodies were clashing and yet were working together to form a single entity. He saw tendrils of fog begin to seep from him and Hichigo to twist and bind as they met. Repulsion and attraction, light and dark, solid and vapor, it was all becoming a storm.

_Is this how a soul made?_

_Yes._

_It's terrible and yet it's beautiful._

_Yes._

_I am you…_

_…and you are me._

Ichigo could imagine what they would become when the two halves merged. He would be radiant and yet terrible. His eyes would be of ice and fire. His hair would be orange and white. His power would become greater than the Soul Society could ever imagine. He would rival the Spirit King himself. He would be a god. He would bring life and death to all of the worlds. He would destroy the world and remake it in his image. He would reach into the seas of time and change the course of his life from that terrible rainy day. He would make sure his mother never died and the world would be better for it.

But was that what he truly wanted anymore?

"Together, we would be mightier than all of the powers that be."

"Together, we can make the world a better place."

"Together, we will make all knees bow before us."

"Together, we will finally succeed in making our dream a reality. We can protect everyone."

"Together, we can make Orihime mine."

"Together, we can make Rukia mine."

"Together, we can make them both ours," Ichigo and Hichigo said, smiling.

The world around them began to shift and shimmer.

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

"SOMETHING'S HAPPENING!" Harribel shouted.

Rukia turned her attention to Ichigo. Her face paled with what she saw. Ichigo's face was shimmering. It was as though another face was being projected over it. His body began to tremble and his limbs tried to strain against the combined Kido that Isshin, Rukia, Starrk, and Harribel had put on him. The Zanpakuto that Lilynette was holding onto began to vibrate. Lilynette's face contorted and blood began to trickle from her nose.

"LILYNETTE!" Starrk cried out.

"STARRK, YOU MUSTN'T!" Harribel cried out.

"But look at her. She's in pain. She needs me."

"You don't even know what's going on in there. She does."

"I can't lose her; not again."

"And I can't lose you. But if you insist on jumping in…then I'll go with you."

Starrk looked at her and then nodded. He took out the Soul Candy that Urahara gave him and Harribel did the same.

"Wait a minute. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Isshin cried out.

"We're going in," Starrk said. "Something's going on in there and we need to…"

"DON'T!" Lilynette's voice cried out. "YOU MUSTN'T!"

They turned and saw that Ichigo was talking in Lilynette's voice.

"If you do, then the combined Spiritual Energy will alert the two to what we're trying to do. Instead, impale Ichigo's shoulders and ankles with your Zanpakutos and pour out your Reiatsu into them as long as you can. It will hold him down. Rukia, Mr. Kurosaki: that means you'll have to do it as well."

"What?" Isshin asked, shocked. "You want me to hurt my son?"

"It's either that or he'll kill everyone. DO IT NOW!"

"Alright," Starrk whispered and swallowed the Soul Candy. Harribel followed close behind.

"Isshin, Rukia, you heard her. We have to do this," he whispered as he drew his Zanpakuto. "Harribel, I'll take his left foot and you take his right foot."

"Got it."

"NO!" Isshin shouted and he launched himself at Starrk. "I will not let you hurt my son."

Starrk tried to get out of the way, but Isshin struck him with full force, sending him sprawling. Harribel rushed towards them to try to pry Isshin off of Starrk. Rukia didn't know what to do. She looked at Ichigo and saw that something was going on, but she was afraid.

"I…I can't…I can't hurt him…I…"

She looked at Ichigo's trembling body. Sweat began to gleam on his skin. He opened his mouth and vomited.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Starrk yelled at Isshin as he pushed him off. "WE NEED TO…"

Isshin punched Starrk in the mouth. His lip began to bleed and Starrk looked at Isshin in horror.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT MY SON!"

"YOU'RE HURTING HIM BY DOING NOTHING!" Harribel shouted.

Isshin turned to look at her only to find the point of her Zanpakuto in her face.

"Now, you have a choice to make, Mr. Kurosaki. Either we do as Lilynette advises to hold him down or you can run the risk of him hurting Yuzu and Karin. The choice is yours."

"Yuzu…Karin…I…I…"

"Mr. Kurosaki," Starrk whispered. "We only want to help your son, but for us to do that we may have to hurt him. Try to understand that doing nothing is the worst thing we can do right now."

"I…I'm sorry…I…I…"

"You were only being a father," Rukia said as she took out her Chappy Soul Candy. "But sometimes, we have to hurt the ones we love to save them. I'm willing to do that." She looked at Ichigo. "I'm willing to do what I have to in order to save him because I now realize just how much he means to me."

_**Kisuke's Nightmare**_

_He was running towards the enemy. Flames spread around him as he ran. Death and destruction surrounded him and he could see the enemy ahead. They were fighting against the Soul Reapers sent to guard the World of the Living and they were winning. He raised his Zanpakuto and slashed in the air._

_"SCREAM, BENEHIME!" he roared._

_The crimson wave cut through the foe and shrouded his view with dust. He smiled, knowing that he had destroyed the enemy. Then the dust cleared._

_"No…" he moaned as he saw Yoruichi standing in front of him. "No…I…I didn't mean to."_

_There was no enemy. There was no destruction. There was only Yoruichi standing before him. He watched as she fell in two pieces. He screamed in horror at what he had done. The insanity that was eating away at his mind had caused him to kill one of the only people he could say he truly loved._

He woke up screaming.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"Boss, it's alright. You were just dreaming," Tessai moaned from the bed next to him.

Kisuke looked around him.

"No…no…this is a dream. This is a cruel dream brought by the insanity."

"Oh shut up," Grimmjow snarled. "If this was one of your dreams, why would I or Nnoitora be here?"

Kisuke looked to where Nnoitora and Grimmjow stood. He blinked in surprise and then shook his head. It felt as though the pieces were falling into place and it wasn't a very pleasant sensation.

"You mean…I didn't kill Yoruichi?"

"And why would you kill me?" Yoruichi asked as she bounded into the room. "I thought we were supposed to be good friends."

"I…I went insane because of Aizen and…and I didn't… What happened?"

"It was that bitch's ability," Grimmjow replied. "She said something about how looking in the mirror causes you to live out your worst nightmare and if you go too deep, it becomes your reality. Or it was something along those lines. Hell…I don't know."

Kisuke put a hand to the side of his head. Slowly, the memories he thought he had were being replaced with what actually happened, but there was still a couple of hours that he was missing. The last thing he could remember was running out of the shop and then…darkness.

"Kisuke, you need to lie down," Yoruichi said. "I already contacted Captain Hitsugaya and his team. He's coming to ask some questions."

"What about Abarai and the Amaterasu sisters?" Urahara asked as he suddenly remembered.

"They're still out of it," Nnoitora said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going hunting."

"No you won't," Yoruichi said, glaring at them. "You're going to help me stand guard. If you refuse…" she grinned as she cracked her knuckles.

Grimmjow and Nnoitora looked at each other and then shrugged. They knew better than to try to go against Yoruichi.

_**Inner World-Lilynette**_

Lilynette began to move faster. Zangetsu helped to show her the way. After seeing what Starrk and Harribel were thinking of doing, she had used the Zanpakuto to communicate with them. She hoped that they would do as they were advised. If too many souls entered into a single Inner World, then it would alert Hichigo to them and they couldn't risk him doing something against the Kurosakis by manipulating Ichigo's body. And as soon as Hichigo realized that she was here, he would do something. He wanted to gain complete control and he would do whatever it took.

_Come on, Little Wolf. I can feel them. They're up ahead and they're already starting to unite._

_Is Ichigo putting up some kind of fight?_

Zangetsu's silence was answer enough. Ichigo was letting it happen.

"Damn idiot," she snarled. "He better hope I'm not too late."

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Isshin looked at his Zanpakuto and then at his son's right shoulder. Rukia stood on the other side with her Zanpakuto drawn. He looked at Starrk and Harribel who were by the feet.

"Are you ready?" Rukia asked as she put the tip of the blade right at the left shoulder.

He only nodded.

"Remember," Harribel said. "We have to pour our Spiritual Energy into him. I don't know what will happen since Starrk and I were Arrancars."

"It might actually help," Rukia whispered. "But…this seems like one of those forbidden techniques."

"It is," Isshin whispered. "It was made illegal to use because it was viewed as a form of treason. The Captain-Commander before Yamamoto had to have this done to him when he went insane. It had to be done otherwise he would have destroyed the entire Soul Society. Yet, the four brave Captains who performed this on him were branded as traitors and Exiled."

"Were you one of those four?" Rukia asked.

Isshin shook his head.

"I wasn't. I don't even know who gave the order for their punishment, but it was unjust. The greatest act of loyalty and honor is to betray a madman who is destroying the world one swore to protect."

"If Aizen did what he did for that reason, then he would be a hero," Rukia whispered.

"The only good thing he did was destroy Central 46," Isshin snarled. "Those self-righteous bastards never had to go to the front lines and yet they pretend to know better than anyone else what is best for the Soul Society."

Starrk and Harribel only remained silent. They watched Isshin who was biting his lower lip.

"Alright, let's do this," he whispered.

Isshin and Rukia planted their blades at the shoulder blades while Starrk and Harribel planted their blades at the back of the ankles.

"One…two…" Isshin paused. "THREE!"

Four blades pierced Ichigo. They poured their Spiritual Energies into the Zanpakutos. Chains of fire, ice, wind, and steel wound their way around Ichigo's body, uniting the four blades. Ichigo shrieked in pain. The chains flowed into each other and where all four met a golden spike formed. The five ancient elements of creation bound Ichigo.

_**Inner World-Ichigo**_

"NO!" Hichigo shrieked as Ichigo screamed in pain.

The connection between them began to unwind, but then it became stronger. Hichigo's eyes narrowed. Something was going on, but right now he only felt that outside forces were merely holding the physical body down.

_Let them try,_ the Inner Hollow thought. _They'll pay. They'll all pay._

"Come now, Ichigo. Soon, we will shape the worlds in our image."

Ichigo could only scream. His eyes opened and Hichigo was taken aback when he saw that they were made of fire.

_Something's not right. Damn it. They're up to something. They have to be. But what can they do? It's too late to stop me._

The Spiritual Pressure radiating from him and Ichigo was tremendous. Ichigo's pillar of black and red Reiatsu was winding around Hichigo's pillar of white and ice blue Reiatsu.

The Inner World began to tremble.

_**Inner World-Lilynette**_

Lilynette did her best to maintain her balance. Stone and glass from the ruins began to fall to the surface and she could see the two pillars winding into each other. Her eyes went wide.

"Damn it."

She began to run. The ground began to move in waves. The sky began to ripple. What should be solid was now becoming liquid and gas. She had never realized just how unstable the Inner World could really be…until now.

She knew that she was getting closer. The Reiatsu was tremendous and far more powerful than anything she had ever felt before. But she was used to being around severely intense Spiritual Pressure. That was why she was the one who could do this. Her Spiritual Pressure was weak enough to remain undetected, but she was resilient enough to withstand tremendous amounts of Reiatsu that would destroy anyone else.

However, she could still feel it. Her vision began to blur and she knew that her nose was bleeding. But she would keep going. She had to.

_Alright, Lilynette,_ she thought to herself. _This is it. I refuse to die. Starrk will be sad if I don't come back. I will do this._

She pressed on. However, her steps were becoming heavy and she could barely breathe.

_Zangetsu, this had better work. If it doesn't and I die because of this, then I'm so going to kick your ass._

_I understand, Little Wolf. I won't allow you to die. Draw the Zanpakuto and keep a tight hold. I'll lend you some of my Reiatsu to help you._

Lilynette drew the Zanpakuto. It looked like Ichigo's Bankai. Its black blade glowed and flickered. She felt strength enter her and she found that she could breathe and move. She smiled.

_Alright, you sack of shit, it's time that you learn what it means to mess with one of Starrk's friends. Ready or not, here we come._

_**Inoue Residence**_

"So, they're gonna be alright?" Orihime asked on the telephone. Ulquiorra leaned forward. "That's good. I'm glad to hear it. But if there's anything I can do… Oh… So, they don't need me? Alright, but let me know if I'm needed… Thanks Rangiku… Bye." She hung up the phone and looked at Ulquiorra. "They're going to be fine. Kisuke and Tessai have already recovered, but it's going to take some time for the others to fully wake up."

"I am glad to hear that they'll be alright."

"Thanks for saying that you'll stay here with me."

"It's the least I can do for allowing me to stay. Also, I feel I owe you something for being a poor caretaker when you were our prisoner in Las Noches."

"Oh…there's no need for that. I…I'm just glad that you're here."

"I…still do not understand what you mean. You claim that we have a bond, but…I do not see how that is possible. What kind of bond do we have?"

Orihime didn't say anything. Instead she only blushed and did something that she had never been able to bring herself to do before. She kissed Ulquiorra on the lips. Ulquiorra felt something stir in him. He didn't know what to do. He felt helpless and confused and yet he liked the sensation.

_What's happening to me?_

Orihime pulled away from him and looked away.

"I…I'm sorry…I…I shouldn't have…"

"No, Orihime, it was…rather pleasant."

Orihime smiled a little. Tears began to flow down her face. Ulquiorra reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Please, don't cry," he whispered. "I…I don't like it when you cry. It reminds me too much of what I did to you."

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous, aren't…?"

Before she could finish, Ulquiorra kissed her. They sank into each other's embrace. They allowed the kiss to deepen and both felt that it was the best moment they had ever experienced. Their hands began to trace over each other as things went further than just kissing.

_**Squad 4 Barracks**_

"How is he?" Ukitake asked.

"He'll recover," Unohana replied as she checked on Kenpachi's status. "Unfortunately, there's little we can do for the bones in his arms. Those will have to heal on their own."

"He won't be too happy about that. He really wanted to fight against the new foe."

"It's probably for the best. So, what did the Captain-Commander decide on?"

"He's decided to wait. I think that he wants to see what these Mangiatori will do."

"Has Captain Hitsugaya filed his report yet?"

"Not yet, but it should be in by morning. The Captain-Commander will make a decision about whether or not to send some of the other Captains in."

Unohana sighed.

"He might. Any serious threat to the Balance must be dealt with. It's such a shame that whether or not our opponent is worthy of death is irrelevant."

"Yes, it was the same with some of the Arrancars we encountered. That's the ugliness of war. The only thing relevant is what side a person is on and often times that leads to de-humanizing those who don't fall in line with your side. I sometimes wonder if we're nothing more than Aizens parading around in another guise."

Unohana sighed.

"It's not for us to determine that. I suppose that History may prove that Aizen was right, but then again it could also prove that he was wrong. All that we can do is look at the present circumstances."

Ukitake shook his head. He knew that Unohana had a point. But that didn't make him feel any easier about the whole situation. He had a feeling that their current opponents only wanted to live in peace, and that they weren't responsible to what happened to them. However, it was their duty to destroy all threats to the Balance and they were a threat just by their powers.

_But what if we're wrong? What if we're only performing an act of genocide for no real reason? What if our duties are all the products of a delusional being that may not even exist? We only hear about the Royal Family, but we haven't seen them. How do we know that they even exist or that the Spirit King isn't some idiotic creature that only pits us against each other for its own amusement? If that's what Aizen saw, then maybe he was right._

Ukitake shook the thought from his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. It was got Aizen into trouble and regardless of whether or not Aizen was right, he was still a traitor. But if Aizen had been victorious then he wouldn't be considered a traitor. He would be considered a liberator. That thought sent a shudder down his spine.

_We all try to make the world in our image,_ he thought. _It doesn't matter who we have to crush to bring that world about._

_**Inner World-Lilynette**_

Lilynette approached the area cautiously. The Zanpakuto blazed as she got closer. Ichigo and Hichigo, or at least what was left of them, were standing relatively close to each other. She noticed that they were still relatively intact except for their left arms and that their skin was too translucent that she could see the muscles and bones and organs underneath. A chain of glass that ran from their chests connected them. The space in between seemed to be occupied by a forming figure that was becoming more solid with each moment.

_What is that?_

_That's the real Ichigo. If that thing forms then it will be devastating. The Ichigo that his friends know will be gone and replaced with a stranger._

_What does it want?_

_It wants to exist. But it mustn't._

_Why not?_

_It would be a creature of godlike powers and godlike insanity._

_I take it that's not a good thing._

_No, it's not. Absolute power and absolute insanity is never a good combination._

_Alright, so what do I do?_

_Impale all three with the Zanpakuto. Ichigo and Hichigo will try to stop you and the forming creature can't do anything right now. So you need to hurry._

Lilynette nodded. She made her way forward and was glad for her relatively small size. She was ready to use Flash-Step if she had to. She could understand why Hichigo would want to stop her, but not why Ichigo would try to stop her. The only thing she could think of was that it was because some deep, secret part of Ichigo wanted it to happen.

She readied the Zanpakuto and was prepared to rush when the forming figure turned. It looked at her and she could see that its eyes seemed to be ice and fire mixed together. She knew that it couldn't do anything to stop her, but that didn't mean it was completely helpless. The creature's will was becoming the will of Ichigo and Hichigo.

Ichigo was the first to respond. He looked at Lilynette and snarled.

"STAY AWAY!" he shouted and fired a Cero at her.

"SHIT!" Lilynette screamed and dodged.

Hichigo laughed as he fired a Cero of his own. Lilynette found herself dodging Ceros and Balas. However, she noticed that it was slowing the merging process. As long as they were distracted by her, she could slow down the process.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo shouted and swung his arm in a chopping method.

She was not surprised to see nothing happen.

"DUMBASS!" she cried out. "YOU CAN'T USE ZANGETSU'S METHODS WITHOUT ZANGETSU!"

Ichigo blinked and looked at his hand.

"I…I…What do you mean?"

"NEVER MIND!" Hichigo shouted. "JUST KILL THE LITTLE BITCH! KILL HER BEFORE SHE RUINS EVERYTHING! DO YOU WANT YOUR MOTHER TO DIE ALL OVER AGAIN? DO YOU WANT TO FAIL HER AGAIN?"

_That's it. Ichigo's allowing it to happen because he believes that he somehow failed his mother._

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOTHER WOULD SAY IF YOU LOSE WHO YOU ARE?" Lilynette shouted.

"SHUT UP, BITCH!" Ichigo yelled. "What do you know about my mother?"

"I may not know her, but I do know that you would shame her if you sacrificed everything and everyone just to bring her from the dead. SHE'S DEAD! YOU CAN'T REVERSE THAT!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

"Do you really think your mother would want you to destroy yourself for her sake? YOU'RE AN IDIOT!"

Ichigo looked at her.

"SHUT UP!" Hichigo roared and fired another Cero.

Lilynette barely had time to go into Flash Step. The moment she came out of it she rushed at Hichigo from behind. The crazy albino turned his head and snarled, revealing his black gums and rotting teeth.

"NO YOU DON'T!" he shouted.

A blast of Reiatsu caused her to fly backwards. She landed hard and lost her grip on the Zanpakuto. She began to struggle because of the crushing Reiatsu. It was more intense than before.

"Well now, it looks like you lose, Little Girl," Hichigo sneered. "Now it's time for you to go beddy-bye and never wake up."

Hichigo dug into the forming figure and Lilynette watched as bolts of black, crimson, white, and ice blue Reiatsu travelled through his translucent body and form a Zanpakuto.

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

"I…I can't hold on much longer," Rukia moaned.

She was beginning to weaken and some of the chains of wind began to weaken.

"Just…just hang on," Isshin panted. "We need…we need to…to maintain…"

Ichigo let out a scream and his Reiatsu suddenly increased. It was all that they could do to keep hold. The chains were beginning to weaken.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Ichigo cried out in a voice that seemed to be two completely different voices. "I'LL RIP ALL YOU LOVE TO PIECES FOR THIS INSOLENCE AGAINST A GOD! I'LL DRINK THEIR BLOOD AND STRANGLE THEM WITH THEIR OWN ENTRAILS! I'LL DO WHATEVER I PLEASE WITH THEM AND FORCE YOU TO WATCH! I'LL…I'LL…Y-Y-Y-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The chains shattered except for the chains of steel and fire. Harribel and Rukia began to struggle as the Spiritual Pressure became even more intense. However, Isshin and Starrk kept hold of their Zanpakutos. Starrk looked at Lilynette and saw that she was trembling. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.

"Hang on, Lilynette," he moaned. "Isshin grab hold to Lilynette's Zanpakuto when I do. We need to back her up."

"I…I understand."

They reached for the Zanpakuto. The remaining chains began to weaken.

"ICHIGO!" Rukia cried out as she reached for Ichigo. "Please…come back to me," she whispered as she touched his face.

At the same instant, Isshin and Starrk touched Lilynette's Zanpakuto.

"Please, Lilynette, be alright," Starrk whispered.

The Reiatsu flowing in the room became overwhelming.

_**Inner World-Ichigo**_

"Rukia," Ichigo whispered as he put a hand up to his cheek.

He saw Hichigo laughing as he approached Lilynette with a Zanpakuto that seemed to be made of glass with black, white, crimson, and ice blue fire burning within. He looked to the side and saw the Zanpakuto. He immediately recognized the Spiritual Energy seeping from it.

"Zangetsu," he whispered.

He reached for it and took hold.

_Hello, Ichigo._

_Old Man, is that really you?_

_Yes. Now listen to my voice Ichigo. Listen to my voice and do what I say._

Ichigo looked at the figure. Its eyes of ice and fire glared at him.

_What do you think you're doing? Don't you realize what you're missing out if you do that? You can protect those you love. You can be the master of all creation. You can make sure that no one has to suffer like you did. You can have everything you ever wanted. I know your heart, Ichigo Kurosaki. After all, I'm the real you. I'm what you were meant to be._

_You may be a part of me, but you're not me. I am who I am._

Ichigo took hold of the Zanpakuto. He approached Hichigo who was ready to impale Lilynette.

"LILYNETTE!"

"ICHIGO!"

He saw his dad and Starrk rushing for them. The two Soul Reapers knocked Hichigo backwards.

"YOU FUCKS!" Hichigo screamed and was ready to raise the glass Zanpakuto.

Ichigo used that moment to reach around and plunged the Zanpakuto into part of Hichigo's chest where the glass chain was coming out of.

"What…WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"I'm doing what I should have done. My mind is my own. My heart is my own. My soul is my own. NONE OF THEM BELONG TO YOU OR THAT CREATURE YOU WANT US TO BECOME!"

Ichigo applied pressure.

"NO! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING! WE CAN BECOME GOD! WE CAN REVERSE ALL OF THE WRONGS THAT EVER HAPPENED! WE CAN BRING HER BACK!"

Ichigo paused.

"No…you can't," Isshin whispered. "Ichigo let me help you." He placed his hand over his son's and helped him to finish pushing the blade through.

"NO!" Hichigo shrieked. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I'M KING! I'M GOD! THIS IS MY WORLD!"

"Not anymore," Ichigo whispered as he applied the last bit of pressure to impale himself as well as Hichigo and the forming figure.

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Rukia watched in horror and awe as the five Zanpakutos flew out of Ichigo's body. Lilynette, Starrk, and Isshin were pushed away from Ichigo who was now rising like a puppet on strings. He was screaming in pain. Blood began to flow from the corner of his eyes. Then he toppled to the floor in a heap. The Reiatsu died down.

"Ichigo," she whispered.

_**Inoue Residence**_

Orihime could feel Ulquiorra's heart beating under her hand that was resting on his bare chest. For the first time in years she truly felt happy. She looked at the photo of Sora and smiled.

_Brother, thank you for watching out for me, but you don't need to worry about me anymore. I finally found the one who makes me feel whole._

She returned her attention to Ulquiorra and kissed him again.

"I love you, Ulquiorra."

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Ichigo opened his eyes. It was as though he was seeing everything through a thick fog and there was only one thing he could see clearly.

"Rukia," he whispered.

"Ichigo, is that really you?"

"Of…of course it's me…Midget."

"I…I thought I told…I told you not to…not to call me 'Midget,'" Rukia whispered as she fought back the tears.

"Whatever."

"How do you feel?"

"I feel…so…so tired."

"Yeah, I bet you do," Rukia whispered and stroked his cheek.

"Rukia…thank you."

"Just go to sleep," she whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Ichigo fell asleep.

_**Inner World**_

Zangetsu looked out over the skyscrapers and the blue sky. White clouds drifted lazily about.

_It feels good to be back,_ he thought.

"That may be," Hichigo snarled from where he crouched. "But keep in mind that this is only temporary. One way or another, I will regain control."

"I know, but for right now, it's stable."

"Yeah, but for how long?"

Zangetsu did not answer. Instead he merely walked on the side of the building. Hichigo watched him go and smiled when he saw the cracks in the window appear.

**End of Chapter 11**

**Shinigami Cup**

**Yuzu: I wonder what all of that yelling was about.**

**Karin: Who cares?**

**Yuzu: But what if something bad has happened?**

**Karin: I'm sure that everything's alright now. Would you please pass me the soy sauce?**

**Yuzu: But Karin, what if something's wrong? I mean, it sounded as if there was a fight or something.**

**Karin:…**

**Yuzu:…**

**Karin: Well, it sounds alright now. I'm sure that it was just Dad being an idiot.**

**Yuzu: Well, I'm going upstairs to check.**

**Karin: Fine, do whatever you want.**

**Yuzu goes upstairs and to Ichigo's room. She opens the door to find Ichigo sleeping on the floor with his head in Rukia's lap. Lilynette is sleeping with her head on Starrk's stomach while Harribel is asleep and hugging Starrk. Isshin is asleep and is kicking one leg like a dog.**

**Yuzu: Aw, how cute.**

**Yuzu turns off the light and closes the door.**

**A.N.: Whew, this was a tough chapter to write mostly because I had several variations of how the whole Inner World sequence would go. I pretty much knew that I wanted for Ichigo to be somehow involved with the actual impalement of himself, but I didn't know how to get him from being willing to go with the Merge to actually being able to fight it. Then I thought about how Orihime crying out for him awoke his Inner Hollow completely and decided that having Rukia echo that would be a good way of doing that. **

**That's all for now.**

**Thank you for reading and please review.**


	14. Chapter 12: Rising Tempest

**Tamashi no Kiri**

**Chapter 12: Rising Tempest**

_The seas roar in fury_

_The winds howl in sorrow_

_The sky becomes a funeral shroud_

_But not even the rising tempest_

_Can stop our hearts' finding each other_

By the time Ichigo woke up, daylight was pouring in through his bedroom window. His head throbbed and his body ached, but he for some reason that he could not explain he felt refreshed.

"Well, it's about time you got up," Yuzu said. "Dad said that you weren't feeling well and that you needed some sleep. But he didn't say anything about it being for more than a day."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"You've been asleep for more than a day," his other sister, Karin, said from the door. "Don't worry, Rukia got your homework assignments for you and turned in Dad's note to your teachers letting them know that you were sick with the flu."

_At least he didn't make it anything embarrassing this time,_ Ichigo thought.

He tried to sit up, but his head felt as though it was filled with nothing but water. A wave of dizziness came over him and he had to put his head back down on the pillow.

"Don't try to get up," Yuzu gasped. "Oh dear, you're probably still a little sick. I'll get you some saltine crackers and some juice."

Karin shook her head as Yuzu ran out of the room. She looked at her brother, frowning.

"You know, you really should stop making Yuzu worry about you. She was up all last night worrying about you. She even said some prayers to Mom to watch over you."

"I'm…sorry. I didn't mean to…to make her worry."

"So what did happen? One moment we were watching TV and the next thing I know I'm feeling this incredible weight pushing down on me. Lilynette felt it too and she immediately went running upstairs. So…what happened?"

He tried to remember what had happened to him, but found that he couldn't. The last thing he could remember was that Harribel and Rukia were talking to each other. After that, everything was dark except for those eyes. He could still see those eyes of ice and fire coming towards him.

_I am what you were meant to be._

He shivered slightly at that. But in the midst of that terror he could still hear Rukia calling out his name. He had a feeling that was what saved him.

_It seems as if the Midget has saved me once again,_ Ichigo thought. _I don't know what she saved me from, but whatever it was almost had me._

He felt ashamed at that thought. He knew that he should have resisted and that he could have resisted. But he hadn't wanted to. It was as though a part of him wanted to become that creature, and it wasn't just his Inner Hollow either.

He looked at Karin who was looking at him, still expecting an answer. Ichigo only shook his head.

"I don't remember. I guess…I guess I was a lot sicker than I thought."

"You're keeping something back. But that's your business."

Karin turned and began to walk towards the door. She stopped and didn't turn around. Ichigo could tell that she was debating something. Then her shoulders slumped and she turned her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"I'm glad the monsters didn't get you," she whispered and walked out of the room.

Ichigo sat up, ignoring the nausea that he still felt. His eyes widened in surprise. He began to wonder if Karin was holding something back as well.

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

Charlotte Wolfe felt annoyed.

Milton had instructed them to keep a low profile, but she couldn't understand what use it could be. Based on what Howard reported of Ambrose's little fight with the Soul Reaper Captain she knew that the Soul Society's eyes would keep looking for them.

"This is bullshit," she whispered as she kicked a beer can into the gutter. "We should be getting ready and not hiding like rats. Damn Shinigami."

She sighed and looked at the sky. A light breeze swept across her face and she smiled. She held up a hand as though trying to catch the wind and she could make out the thin wisps of air as it flowed around her fingers. High above she could make out birds flying to either find food or a place to rest.

_I wish I was a bird,_ she thought. _That way I could just fly away and not have a single thing to worry about._

She didn't know how long she could stand there, allowing the wind to flow over and around her. Wind was her element. She wanted to be free like the wind and not have to worry about the Soul Reapers or Hollows that preyed on the Souls in their own way. She felt that the Soul Reapers were much more malevolent than the Hollows because the Soul Reapers would fill the heads of the Spirits with false hopes about what was to come. At least with Hollows you knew that they would only devour you. With Soul Reapers it was hard to say with them since she could tell that some of them really didn't believe what they were telling the Spirits.

She remembered a Soul Reaper from her time in Russia give the same "It's better over there" speech. The spirit had gone willingly after being promised to be reunited with loved ones. When it was over the Soul Reaper had only sighed and shook his head and muttered "if you can find them" under his breath. That was when she knew that Soul Reapers who promised reunification with family and friends were all liars and that whatever was in this "Soul Society" place must be horrible from the way other Soul Reapers talked about it amongst themselves.

For her there were too many rules and too much false-hope. She had even overheard one group placing bets on how long a soul would keep looking for their loved ones before they realized how futile it was and just give up.

She hated the smug looks on their faces when they told each other how pleased they were to be better than a mere Soul. It was listening to that particular conversation that she had first found out about Spirit Energy and how most souls sent over would remain mere mediocre souls with no talent and nothing to really enjoy. She vowed not to become that way.

She heard footsteps approaching from behind her. She embraced the wind, ready for anything. She turned around and saw Shirley walking with some bags full of groceries. She stopped before she could fully manifest her Risveglio.

"What are you doing out here, Charlotte?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"And my answer would be pretty obvious," Shirley replied, smiling. "Would you please give me a hand?" Charlotte sighed and took some of the bags from her. "Thanks."

"Whatever."

"I thought that Milton gave you instructions to keep watch at the Urahara Shop with Howard."

"Yeah, but, I just needed a change of scenery. Besides, I'm sure that Howard can take care of himself."

Shirley nodded.

"I'm sure he can. So has there been any sign of them?"

"Not yet and it's getting pretty boring watching a place where very few people come out of."

"Who knows, maybe we scared them off. Or…or maybe they came to their senses and realized that there really is no reason to kill us."

"I doubt it. Those bastards are most likely biding their time and waiting for the right moment to strike us."

Shirley frowned at that. Silence fell over them, only broken by the sounds of the soles of their tennis shoes and boots striking the pavement. Shirley looked at her and nodded.

"I suppose you're right. It's my fault. I went overboard when I faced them and they probably went too deep into my Risveglio."

"Maybe it is, but then again maybe it isn't. Soul Reapers have a nasty habit of getting rid of anything that they think shouldn't exist. I bet you that they all do it for their beloved 'Spirit King'. Tch…I bet that the Spirit King doesn't even exist. It's most likely only an invention by those in control to justify their actions."

"I think it does exist," Shirley whispered. "If it does and if they are acting on its orders, then I hate it. I saw too many of my friends get eaten by those Hollows while the Soul Reapers just stood by and waited for the opportune moment. If that's what the Spirit King is, then everyone would be better off if it was dead."

"Maybe it would be, but then again maybe not."

"There you go again. You get me all riled-up about something and then you always point out some kind of flaw."

"Eh, it's what I do. Oh…we better hurry."

"Why?"

"There's a storm coming."

"What are you talking about? I don't see any storm clouds."

"The wind's telling me that a storm's on the way."

_**Karakura High School**_

"Thank you, Mr. Dante, for understanding," Rukia said as she bowed.

"Not a problem. Just be sure to give Mr. Kurosaki my best wishes on a speedy recovery."

"I will."

Milton watched as Rukia ran out of the teacher's room. He sighed as he leaned back in the chair and took out an old copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_. He remembered a time when getting the flu was akin to a death sentence. Medicine had come a long way since then, but every time he heard of someone getting the flu or even a cold, he worried. It was a mindset from the times that he lived in.

"Mr. Dante," one of the other teachers said. "Your niece is here to visit."

"Oh, thank you, Miss Kurosawa. Please, send her in."

The art teacher nodded and smiled a little. Milton knew that look all-too-well. He sighed as he marked his page with a pencil and put the book down. He had not thought that being a substitute teacher would be so enjoyable. He liked the other faculty members and most of the students, but he knew that it was only temporary.

He could hear Emily's quick footsteps and her talking to Miss Kurosawa. He was surprised to hear them giggle a little about something. He knew that some of the other teachers were probably looking at them in disapproval. He turned his head slightly and saw Emily giving one of her mischievous grins while Miss Kurosawa was writing something down on a sheet of paper.

Miss Kurosawa took another look at him and then walked away with a more pronounced sway to her hips. Milton sighed as Emily approached him, acting a little too innocent.

"It seems as if Miss Kurosawa has the hots for you," she whispered. "She wanted you to have this."

Milton took the piece of paper and looked at the phone number. He sighed as he put it in his pocket.

"I'm sure you didn't come here just to tell me about Miss Kurosawa."

"You're right. It would appear as though none of the Soul Reapers have told the others about us. I haven't seen anyone else from Ichigo's circle of friends acting strangely around us. Right now it's just the Soul Reapers."

"I see." Milton frowned. "Ichigo and Rukia would probably only tell them something if they believed that they have a reason to be concerned. That probably means that they don't know about the skirmishes. Or they think that we were not involved."

"Then maybe we can use that to keep Harper safe," Emily said, smiling. "We can say that we're not involved with that group and that it's all just coincidence."

Milton remained silent as he thought about that.

"It could work. But…I just wouldn't feel right about throwing the others under the bus like that, even if it is to keep you and Harper safe. Besides, I have a feeling that it wouldn't matter to the Soul Society."

"We've got to do something. We can just pack everything up and leave."

Milton shook his head. He saw Emily's expression of disbelief.

"It wouldn't work. The last time…we thought that running was the best decision too. In the end, they hunted us until…until I alone remained."

Emily looked at him in surprise. Then she smiled.

"Maybe they won't do that this time. Maybe they'll realize that if they just leave us alone, then they won't have any reason to worry about us."

"That's the thing," Milton said. "Don't you remember what that Soul Reaper Captain told William? They view us as a threat and they won't stop viewing us as a threat until we're dead."

"But…but why…why would they…?"

"I don't know. And I'm afraid that talking to them won't do any good either. We have to do what we must in order to survive."

_**Captain's Meeting Hall**_

"It is in my opinion," Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya said, "that these Mangiatori are a threat. However, at the present time, I am not able to determine how much of a threat they are."

When he had finished giving his report, Captain Hitsugaya stepped back to his place between Captains Kyoraku and Kurotsuchi. Genryusai Yamamoto nodded.

"Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya for your report," Yamamoto said and stood up from his seat and looked at the remaining Captains. "I have come to a decision. Captain Kyoraku and Captain Kuchiki are to head to the World of the Living at once."

Byakuya nodded his head while Shunsui only tilted his hat down slightly.

"In the meantime, Captain Ukitake, you and Captain Unohana will be on stand-by. Captain Unohana, what is Captain Zaraki's current condition?"

"I'm afraid that Captain Zaraki will not regain full strength in his arms. He will be able to wield a sword again, but not with the same ability he had before."

"I see," Yamamoto whispered. "Captain Sui-Feng, I want you to go to the World of the Living as well. I am sure that Yoruichi will need all of the help she can get in finding the enemy's location."

"As you command," Sui-Feng said and bowed. "Plus it will give me a chance to make sure that the new recruits are behaving themselves."

"I'm sure that they're being on their very best behavior," Kyoraku said smiling. "And I'm sure that Nnoitora and Grimmjow are the best-behaved of the bunch."

_**Training Ground Under Urahara's Shop**_

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Grimmjow shouted as he threw his Zanpakuto at Nnoitora's head.

Nnoitora dodged the flying blade easily enough and his grin only became wider.

"Are you going deaf? I called you 'Thunder-Kitty,' Thunder-Kitty."

"Oh, you are so dead. How dare you mock a classic series like _ThunderCats_?"

Nnoitora cocked his head a little.

"What do you mean? Are you actually saying that you're not as cool as those animated fur-balls? My, my, Grimmjow, I never thought I would actually hear such beautiful mewings coming from your mouth."

"THAT'S IT! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M SO GOING TO RIP YOU TO PIECES!"

Grimmjow rushed at Nnoitora who only sighed and stepped to the side, allowing Grimmjow to pass. Grimmjow skidded to a halt and glared at Nnoitora who was grinning again.

"Now, now," Yoruichi said from her perch on top of a rock. She was in her black cat's form, which had caused Nnoitora to start using all of the kitty jokes he could think of on Grimmjow. "You should be practicing and not fighting."

"Aw, did you hear that Grimm-Kitty? Your little girlfriend is talking to you."

"Actually, I was talking to both of you, Piano-Eater."

Nnoitora's face contorted with rage as Grimmjow laughed. He rushed at the cat, only to find the cat leaping into the air and planting her paws on his face with the claws out. Nnoitora howled in pain and began to run around as Yoruichi clung on. This caused Grimmjow to only laugh harder.

"Oh…oh…oh man…Nnoitora…I thought…I thought she was…was supposed to be…my…my…" He couldn't even finish because his laughter took full control and he was rolling on the ground.

"GET THIS STUPID CAT OFF ME!" Nnoitora shrieked as he continued to run.

Yoruichi had somehow managed to perch herself on top of Nnoitora's head and was now grooming herself even as Nnoitora was running around and screaming his head off. She looked up from licking one of her front paws and jumped down before Nnoitora ran right into the brick-like torso of Tessai.

Nnoitora looked up cautiously and he began to tremble as the large man's large hands hoisted him into the air.

"KEEP IT DOWN!" Tessai roared. "THE BOSS IS SLEEPING!"

Tessai returned Nnoitora to the ground and walked away.

"Well now that we got our fun out of the way," Yoruichi said from her new perch on Grimmjow's chest. "Let's start practicing again."

"Uh…what happened to him?" Nnoitora asked as he looked at the dazed Grimmjow.

"He was being too loud for my taste," Yoruichi said. "So, I just caused him to shut up."

Nnoitora grinned at that.

"I think that you and I may end up at least good acquaintances," Nnoitora said.

_**Urahara's Shop**_

"So how are things going at the Academy?" Harribel asked Nel as they sat sipping their tea.

"Ooh, Nel likes it there. Although some of the boys keep staring at me. Why is that?"

Harribel smiled a little.

"It's because they like to look at you. If it gets annoying, just tell Charlotte Cuuhlhourne that he has admirers and point to them."

"But…wouldn't that scar those poor boys for life?"

"That's the point. Nel, I'm glad that the Captain-Commander gave you permission to come visit, even if it was only for today."

"I'm glad to," Nel said.

Harribel found it rather amusing how Nel would sometimes refer to herself in the third person and other times not. It was as though whatever damage Nnoitora did to her had changed some things about Nel, but not her personality.

"So, what's the word from the Captain-Commander?" Harribel asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. The last time I heard anything, he was sending out Hell Butterflies ordering a meeting. And that was a couple of days ago."

_It must have been shortly after Captain Zaraki had his little run-in,_ Harribel thought.

She had suspected that Nel wouldn't have heard too much after that. She wasn't in the Gotei yet. Even though the other former Arrancars had done well and had graduated extremely quickly, Nel was having a relatively difficult time, especially in Hoho and Kido. That didn't surprise Harribel too much. She suspected that Nnoitora's little sneak attack had done some permanent damage that even Orihime's healing hadn't been able to fix. But, despite that, Nel was still on her way to quickly entering the Gotei.

"So, have you thought of a Squad?"

Nel only shook her head.

"I'm not too worried about that yet. Right now I'm just worried about the practical exams."

"Don't be. All that they do is make sure that you can perform various Kido spells correctly and also fight a Hollow from that crazy Captain's lab. That's all. It should be a piece of cake for you."

"But, what if I fail? Then I won't…"

"Of course you won't fail. Don't worry, Nel. You'll get into the Gotei."

Nel brightened a little and smiled.

"Do you really mean it?"

"I do."

Nel smiled.

"What do you think my Zanpakuto's spirit is like?"

"Where did that come from?"

"Well, I'm just wondering," Nel said. "You got to meet yours and so I'm just wondering."

Harribel looked at Nel's Zanpakuto and the carved ram's head used for a pommel.

"I suspect that your Zanpakuto is just like you. And her world is most likely an open field with plenty of grass to eat and sunshine."

"Ooh, I like the sounds of that." Nel gently stroked the carved ram's head and sighed. "What was it like to achieve Shikai?"

"It was…painful for me. My Zanpakuto did not go easy, unlike Starrk's."

She remembered the conversation that she and Starrk had about it after they had returned from their inner worlds. She suspected that the reason Tiburón had not gone easy on her was because she did not really know why she wanted to achieve Shikai. Every time she thought about it she could still feel that burning sea of blood and the sense of failure that weighed her down. Yet she knew that Tiburón had wanted her to succeed. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed the wolf to follow her no matter how badly the wolf would have wanted to follow.

It seemed as though Starrk's and Grimmjow's Zanpakuto only wanted to play around with them. And she thought that was because their reasons were the same. Starrk and Los Lobos wanted to protect their friends while Grimmjow and Pantera only wanted to become as powerful as they could be. Nnoitora's Santa Teresa had only wanted to kick his ass and teach him that sometimes bending the knee is the strongest thing a person can do. As for Lilynette's Los Lobatos…she did not have a clue. All that she knew was that Lilynette had been the first out of all of them to achieve Shikai.

Harribel came out of her thoughts and looked at Nel who was looking at her Zanpakuto with eagerness.

"I can't wait to meet her," she whispered. She stood up and held the unsheathed blade horizontal in front of her. She placed her right palm on the back of the blade while gripping the hilt with her left. "Praise, Gamuza," she whispered and giggled when nothing happened. "It was worth the shot."

_**Outside Urahara's Shop**_

Howard Machen did not see anyone new coming or going since the turquoise-haired girl had come out of the Senkaimon. He was slightly intrigued by what his Preconoscenza had told him in that she had not achieved Shikai or Bankai and that her Kido abilities were slightly above mediocre. He decided that she was most likely just a friend of one of the Soul Reapers coming to pay a visit.

"Anything?"

He turned and saw that Charlotte had returned from her walk.

"There was only a young turquoise-haired lady. But so far there has been no one else."

"A girl with turquoise-hair? Are you sure you weren't seeing things?"

"I'm sure. She's still in there, but my Preconoscenza has essentially concluded that she's not likely to be a threat in battle right now."

Charlotte only shook her head as she sat down. She put one hand in front of her face and flexed the fingers. The wisps of air appeared again and she began to make them dance for her by simply moving her fingers in delicate maneuvers.

"Be careful that you don't accidentally unleash your Risveglio," Howard said.

"Shut up. I know how to control it."

"Are you sure? We don't want to have a repeat of what happened in New York City."

"Oh please, that was only four months ago. I've been practicing a lot more since then."

"If you say so. The last thing we need is…. Hold on."

"What is it?"

"It's one of those Senkaimon." Howard lifted the opera glasses to his eyes and smiled. "They're here."

"How many?"

"Two Captains and they're both very powerful."

"Is that so?" Charlotte asked as she leaned forward. "Should I say 'Hello'?"

"No, we were given instructions not to engage them. And…"

"Relax, I was just kidding. I'm not going to do anything."

_At least not yet,_ she thought.

_**Inoue Apartment**_

"So, is he alright now?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah, he's just resting," Starrk said as he ran a hand through his hair. "He should be fine for a bit, but…"

"I understand," Orihime whispered. "What was wrong with him?"

Starrk didn't answer. He didn't know how he could tell her about what he had seen in Ichigo's Inner World or what Lilynette had told him. Orihime saw the hesitation and understood.

"It was his Inner Hollow. Wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was."

"I thought so." Orihime looked at Ulquiorra and then back at Starrk. "It was my fault that happened."

"Why would you say that?" Starrk asked.

"I…back in Hueco Mundo when…when Ulquiorra killed him, I…I…I think I might have…" She couldn't finish, but Starrk understood.

"Hey, there was no way that anyone could have prevented it except Ichigo. And even then he may not have been able to stop it. His Inner Hollow is too much a part of him." Starrk put a hand on her shoulder. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's not your fault. It was just one of those things that would have happened."

Orihime gave a small smile.

"Thanks. I…I needed that. Is…how's Rukia taking it?"

Starrk was a bit surprised at that. He rubbed his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm afraid I'm not the one you should be asking," Starrk said. "I'm glad that you're doing well. Ulquiorra…uh…good luck with you and…damn it all, be good to her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh…I think you know. Orihime, be good to him as well," Starrk said.

Orihime blushed and nodded. Starrk gave a soft chuckle as he left Orihime's apartment. He knew what was going on. He recognized the look all-too-well. He had worn that same look when it came to Harribel and he had seen that look that Orihime had on now to recognize it.

_The Fates have brought them together,_ he thought.

He stopped for a moment. He looked at the sky and in the distance he could make out black clouds.

_A storm is coming,_ he thought and frowned. _That's odd. That weather girl on the TV said it would be clear skies. Oh well, I guess she made a mistake._

_**Urahara's Shop**_

Byakuya Kuchiki and Shunsui Kyoraku sat at the small table. Kisuke looked at the message that Captain-Commander Yamamoto sent with them.

"So they will have to be eliminated," Kisuke said.

"That is correct," Byakuya said. "Based on the report that Captain Hitsugaya gave, it would seem as though these Mangiatori have various abilities."

"Yeah, and the problem is that we don't know what we'll be facing," Kyoraku said. "From what the reports tell us, one can control any state of water and was able to take control of Toshiro's attacks. Another can ensnare people into their worst nightmares and then we have the one who uses his own blood as a weapon."

"In other words, they can have a wide range of attacks they can use. And we don't know what the others are capable of," Yoruichi said. "They're not so different from the Soul Society in that regard."

Byakuya only kept his usual stoic demeanor while Kyoraku sighed.

"So, how should we proceed?" Kyoraku asked.

"That should be obvious," Byakuya said. "We have a direct order from the Captain-Commander. We seek out the targets and we eliminate them. But we do this cautiously."

Kyoraku sighed.

"Well, I suppose we don't have much of a choice. Orders are orders."

"It's funny," Kisuke said, "how many acts of genocide began the same way."

"What are you saying?" Byakuya asked.

"It's nothing more than the ramblings who has witnessed too much of the World of the Living to really trust orders from anyone. The actions of these Mangiatori have been more along the lines of the actions of those who don't understand why they're being hunted. But they understand that in order to survive they'll have to eliminate the hunters first. They could have killed us if they wanted to, but they didn't. Are they so worthy of death?"

"According to the orders from the Captain-Commander, they are," Byakuya said. "And the restored Central 46 has put their seal on the matter."

Kisuke sighed and shook his head.

"I wonder what you'll do if they decide that the former Arrancars or even Ichigo have to go the same way."

Byakuya looked at Kisuke.

"I would obey. The Law is the Law and we must obey it."

"I know. You would still obey it even if the world was falling around you," Kisuke whispered and shook his head. "But do you at least question an order? I wonder if you even questioned the order for Rukia's execution."

Byakuya did not say anything.

_**Karakura Park**_

Rukia sat on the swing set thinking. She gently rocked the swing and tapped her school bag with the toes of her right foot. She didn't know why she had decided to come here, but all that mattered was that this simple action was helping her to put her mind at ease. She sometimes found herself remembering that night when Ichigo's Inner Hollow had nearly taken full control. She put a hand up to her throat and could still feel those cold, clammy hands wrapped around it.

"Hey Rukia, what are you doing here?"

She turned her head and saw Renji making his way slowly to her. She couldn't help but notice that he was still rubbing his head from time-to-time. Whatever that woman had done had affected him deeply. He had become more somber lately and he sometimes looked at her sadly. She had asked the former two Espada about it and only Grimmjow had given her any kind of response.

_"She just made 'em see scary shit,"_ Grimmjow had said. _"Ya know: their worst fears or something like that."_

Nnoitora had only given her a wave of his hand that said: _"Yeah, what he said"_.

"Hey Renji, how are you?"

"Well, my head still hurts. That woman really did a number on me and I don't even know what she did. Mind if I join you?" he asked and gestured to the swing next to her.

"Sure."

Renji sat down and began to gently swing as well. He looked around and frowned.

"It's rather quiet."

"That's because there's a storm moving in," Rukia said and looked at the storm clouds coming closer. "I don't know why, but…I find them comforting."

"Why?"

"Think about it Renji, when storm clouds come, they bring rain. And rain helps to make the flowers grow," Rukia looked down and smiled. "But I think I would prefer snow."

"No thanks. Give me a sunlit hillside any day." He looked at Rukia again and sighed. "You're thinking about that night, aren't you?"

"I guess. It's just that…it's just that the number of times I've seen Ichigo go into his Hollowfication, he never acted like that. He was still himself. And…and I could tell that Lilynette, Starrk, and even Ichigo's dad are keeping something back from me. I think they might have seen something in his Inner World that they would rather keep quiet about." She looked at Renji. "And you've been keeping something secret from me as well."

"Rukia, I…"

"What did you see?" she asked. "What did that woman's ability show you? The others only told me that they saw their worst fears, and they would say that they couldn't remember it. But they always had that same look that you're giving me now. You do remember."

"Rukia, there are some things that…that are best left unknown."

"I know, but…but for you to just tell me that you couldn't remember anything and…"

"That's because I wanted to forget. I keep telling myself that I won't remember anything of it and yet…yet whenever I close my eyes…"

Rukia looked at Renji and could tell that he was struggling with something.

"If you don't want to tell me then…"

"No, it's…it's that I…I want to tell you, but I'm…I'm so afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid that you may hate me. And…I'm afraid of…of losing you," he whispered.

Rukia looked down at her feet. She had known how he felt about her for some time. She had known in her mind and in her heart and yet she was not able to share those feelings for him. For her, Renji was like a brother and there was a time when she wanted to believe they could become something more. But those emotions had been hollow. And she realized in the days leading up to her would-be execution that regardless of how she felt towards him, she would never be able to truly love him. That sense of emptiness had hurt her more than Renji trying to stop Ichigo.

And she could never bring herself to let Renji know that for sure.

"What…what are you trying to say?"

Renji shook his head.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You love Ichigo and I know that…"

"Renji, what did you see in the mirror?" Rukia asked. "I…I think I have a good idea, but I…I want you to hear you say it."

"Why should I?"

"It's because of something that Harribel told me after they helped Ichigo. She told me that the only hold that fear has over us is the one that we give it. Perhaps, if you confront your fear, then…then maybe it won't affect you so much."

Renji looked at her and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. But I can't."

Rukia looked at him and felt truly sad for him. She remembered their childhood in Hanging Dog. She remembered how they felt they could tell each other anything. But those days were gone.

The bright, sunlit days of youth were forever gone with the storm clouds of adulthood. And Rukia was not surprised that Renji could not tell her for she had things that she could not tell him. She looked up at the approaching storm and saw flashes of lightning and heard the thunder.

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Ichigo wolfed down the meal that Yuzu brought up to him. He was starving and he needed something.

"Well, I see you're feeling better," Isshin said.

"What, you're not going to try your crazy wake-up calls on me?"

"Not today. But tomorrow…"

"Damn it, Dad. I don't know if I'll be 100% by then."

"You will. So, can you remember anything from that night?"

Ichigo shook his head. He was afraid that his father would bring it up and the last thing he wanted to do was make him worry. He looked at Isshin, making sure that their eyes met.

"I'm sorry, but I don't," he said calmly.

Isshin smiled and nodded.

"Good. Now, finish up and just take it easy. If you need help on your homework, then I'll help."

"Thanks," Ichigo said and watched his father leave the room.

_I'm sorry, Dad. But I…I don't want you to worry._

_ Well now, isn't that just the sweetest thing you could have done?_

Ichigo's eyes widened as his mind was filled with that harsh laughter. Fear filled him, but then the laughter subsided. He could feel some sense of calm return, but that fear was still gnawing at him.

Outside, the storm clouds came ever closer.

_**Mangiatori Hideout**_

Milton looked out at the gathering storm and frowned.

"Damn it," he whispered. "She must really be in a foul mood."

He turned away and went back inside the warehouse that they were using. He was glad to see that Ambrose was back on his feet and was now helping to fix dinner.

"Howard and Charlotte should be back soon," Sylvia said from the table where she was helping Harper with her homework.

Milton only nodded. He knew that he could trust Howard not to get involved in anything unless he had to, but Charlotte was a different matter. She was one of the more impulsive in the group, which made her a liability as well as an asset. She was willing to take on any task that needed to be done and she would always get it done. However, her loathing for Soul Reapers ran deep.

Milton tried to find out why that was, but she would always dodge the subject. William and Robert were that way as well, but they didn't seem to have the same level of loathing for Soul Reapers that Charlotte had.

"So, what's the plan?" Ambrose asked from the sofa he was lying in. "Are we going to do something or just wait?"

"I'll make a decision on that as soon as Howard and Charlotte return."

"I say that we should run," Ambrose said as he sat up. "It's worked for us in the past."

"But where would we go? Europe isn't safe for us and neither are the States," Milton said. "The Soul Reapers on those continents would most likely hunt us down and we would still have to be on the run. Don't you remember what happened to us in London?"

Ambrose sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Anyways, I'm tired of running," Milton said. "If it comes down to a choice of running or fighting, then…then I may decide to fight." He looked at the gold head of the cane he always carried with the face of the singing woman on one side and the skull on the other. "And may the gods help those who try to destroy us," he whispered.

"MILTON! MILTON! THEY'RE BACK!" Emily cried out from the catwalk above them. "THEY'RE BACK!"

"Thank you, Emily." Milton walked to the entrance and saw Howard coming in. He thought that Charlotte was just going to wait outside until the storm came, as she usually did. "Well?"

"We may have a problem," Howard answered. "Two Captain-Class Soul Reapers arrived."

"I see. I trust they didn't see you."

"No sir, they did not. At least, I think they didn't. If they did, then they were smart enough not to show any sign."

"Alright, thanks Howard. Emily, would you be so kind as to tell Charlotte to come inside. I've made up my mind."

"Alright," Emily said and she did a back-flip from the catwalk.

He looked at Robert who looked as though he was about to have a heart attack. But Emily was an expert when it came to using her Gigai and she landed on her feet and immediately sprinted out.

"She has way too much energy," Robert said. "And she's extremely careless. No matter how many times I've told her not to do that, she still does it."

"She's still a teenager. Don't expect them to listen to you," Sylvia said.

Milton smiled and then saw Emily running back in. He frowned when he saw that she looked to be in a panic.

"Emily, what is it?"

"It's Charlotte. I can't seem to find her."

"What are you talking about?" Howard asked. "She should be right outside. She told me to go on in since she wanted to watch the storm arrive. You know how she is when it comes to watching storms."

"Maybe she wandered off somewhere," Milton said, but he was frowning.

_**Karakura Town**_

Byakuya Kuchiki walked down one of the streets, unnoticed by most of the general public although some did notice him. He paid them no heed. He didn't pay any attention to the cars that roared past him or the dogs that barked at him. His focus was on the mission at hand.

He and Kyoraku had decided to search for something that could help them track their quarry. He hoped that Kyoraku hadn't merely given an excuse in order to go out with Yoruichi and Kisuke for drinks. Overhead, the sky was becoming a light grey as the storm clouds began to move in. From somewhere behind him, he could make out the sound of thunder.

He used flash-step to get to the top of one of the buildings. He looked around him, getting a good view of the city's layout. He saw that he was getting closer to the industrial area where, if he remembered correctly, Shinji Hirako and the Visoreds had hidden. From what he could recall from the reports, Captain Hitsugaya's advanced team had not reached that area yet.

He wondered if he should investigate it, but then remembered what happened to Kenpachi. If one of them could take out Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, then it was difficult to say what else they were capable of. He was about to head back to the shop when he saw someone else on the rooftop whom he hadn't noticed, looking at the coming storm.

His eyes narrowed as he felt the Reiatsu. It was similar to the other Mangiatori, but it was also different. Byakuya hesitated for a moment. His order had not been specific on what to do should he encounter one of them. He knew that he had to proceed with caution. His hand went to the hilt of the Zanpakuto and he was starting to draw it when she spoke.

"There's something about storms that tell a lot about a person."

Byakuya finished drawing his Zanpakuto.

"You're not going to ask me any questions? I see that Milton was wrong about you leaving us alone."

"Why are you here?"

"So, you decided to ask the most obvious question in the world. Of course, it is multi-dimensional. I could say that I'm on top of this building to get a better look at the coming storm. I could say that I'm here in Karakura Town in order to find a safe place. I could say that I'm still here in the Living World because I know that the so-called 'Heaven' of the Soul Society sounds more of the same bullshit as here. And all of these things would only be partially true."

Byakuya raised his blade.

"You were following me, weren't you?"

Charlotte turned around and faced him. She straightened her black leather jacket and smiled.

"That would make the answer completely true."

"I see. You are a threat against the Soul Society, and must therefore be eliminated."

There was a flash of lighting followed close behind by the roar of thunder. Raindrops began to darken the roof surface. Charlotte lifted her face to it and allowed the rain to wash her Gigai's face. The rain framed Byakuya, repelled by his Reiatsu.

"I would hate to not feel the rain falling on my face." She raised a hand. "I would hate to be unable to feel the wind or smell the scent of a storm. It's like I said before. You can tell a lot about a person from how they respond to a storm. And you come across as someone to be wary of."

Byakuya watched as the winds began to change. Instead of blowing in a relatively uniform direction, it began to whirl. He looked up and saw that the clouds were starting to form into a funnel that seemed to want to descend towards the woman's hand.

"Is this your ability?"

"That's right. Now, let me show you what kind of person I am."

_**Kurosaki Residence**_

Ichigo watched from his bed as the rain began to fall outside. He still felt weak, but he was glad to be strong enough to walk around. He sighed as he picked up the glass of water on his bedside table and picked up his copy of _Heart of Darkness_ and the pen he was using to make notes. He opened it to the page he was on when there was knock on the door.

"Ichigo, you have a visitor," Karin's voice called from the other side.

"Oh, who is it?"

"Guess," Lilynette's voice called out from the other side.

Ichigo smiled. He had never met her when he went to Las Noches, and had only met her counterpart very briefly, but Lilynette was already kind of becoming a third sister for him. He remembered that she had taken it upon herself to try to help him and he felt indebted to her for that.

"Alright, Lilynette, you can come in."

The door opened and Lilynette came bounding in with two cans of soda in her hands. She held one out to Ichigo.

"Here ya go. I'm sure you're tired of drinking nothing but water."

"Thanks." Ichigo took the can and popped the top and took a sip.

"Don't worry. I'm not here spying for your dad, even though he did approach me about it."

"Why does he keep doing that?" Ichigo muttered. "Every time he thinks I'm hiding something, he always tries to find out what it is."

"He's just worried about you. It may be annoying but still…"

"I know. So why are you here?"

"I simply wanted to ask you something."

Ichigo felt nervous about that.

"What is it?" he asked, doing his best to remain calm.

"What would you do if I told you that Orihime has gotten over you?"

Ichigo was shocked by the question.

_And what does she mean by "Orihime has gotten over you"?_

"I should have known. You really are dense."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that Orihime has had a crush on you for a long time. But now, she's sweet on someone else."

Ichigo felt something trying to surface at that. He saw Lilynette looking at him as though studying him.

"Well," she said. "I got the info that I needed."

"What do you mean?"

"I merely came here to see how the temporary bond is doing."

"And?"

"It's holding, and that's the good news. The bad news is that it's starting to break. I recommend that you do not get too…emotionally unstable."

"I'm a guy. We don't get 'emotionally unstable.'"

"Wow, that wasn't sexist at all. You guys like to pretend you're all macho and emotionally detached. But in reality that is nothing more than a mask to try to hide your insecurities."

"What are you, a shrink?"

"Nah, I'm just a Soul Reaper," Lilynette said and smiled. "Like I said, try to avoid situations of extreme stress or where you may feel anger. If you do, do not hesitate to punch something, just not the person. If you keep it pent-up then it will only cause the bonds to weaken even quicker."

_**Streets of Karakura Town**_

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find her," Howard said.

Milton sighed and looked at the sky. The storm was becoming even stronger and then he saw it.

"Oh no," he whispered.

"What is it?" Shirley asked.

"She's getting ready to use her Risveglio. We have to go. We have to stop her before she hurts someone."

"What if she's facing one of those Soul Reapers?" Robert asked.

"That's all the more reason to stop her. Ambrose, go back to the hideout and keep an eye out on Harper and Emily. Make sure to keep them safe in case there are other Soul Reapers around."

"I understand."

"Robert, Shirley, Howard, I want you to come with me."

Milton hoped that they wouldn't be too late.

_**Roof Top**_

The wind whirled around them as they faced each other. The rain spiraled to the roof top.

"Shall we begin?"

Byakuya did not say anything. Instead he only held his Zanpakuto in front of him.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

"Rise, Venti Perso."

The tempest broke in a symphony of rain, wind, and cherry blossoms.

**End of Chapter 12**

**Shinigami Cup**

**Charlotte: Before we begin, what do you say that we just watch the storm for a bit?**

**Byakuya: Why?**

**Charlotte: Well, don't you think it would be more dramatic to have our fight accompanied by the most amount of lighting and peals of thunder and rain as possible? It would really make it a lot more dramatic. Wouldn't you agree?**

**Byakuya: …**

**Charlotte: Good. Glad to see that we're on the same page.**

**A.N.: Thank you for reading and please review.**


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